This Story has been adopted from Lady Grimshaw
All Rights Belong to Stephanie Meyer
Chapter II
... A Place Far, Far Away ...
Italy, a place of myth and magic, history and culture; with beautiful people in exquisite clothes surrounded by beautiful sceneries and delicious food. … From the views of a human at least.
To Vampires … Italy was forbidden, sacred ground, many had even called it 'The Gallows'. One only went to Italy in order to sacrifice themselves to the Volturi or to report another vampire of breaking one of the sacred laws. You never heard about a Vampire reminiscing about vacationing or hunting in Italy because it just did not happen, vampires stayed away from Italy because of the Volturi. Because the Volturi ruled the vampire world and created the vampire Laws, regulations and handed out the executions. The Volturi were judge, jury, and executioners.
Sighing she rolled her eyes up to take in the summer sun, the oversized sunglasses she had procured, stolen, blocked the glares of the sun and as she looked up she could not understand why vampires were so fearful and paranoid. So far nobody other than Jane seemed to mind her, she doubted the Volturi would have even noticed if she had been in Florence or Rome. It was also apparent that even the human citizens of Volterra were completely innocent and unaware of those that lived in the shadows and within the city walls.
She watched the square fill with bodies as humans began their daily habits as she sat upon the steps of the clocktower, the entrance to the Volturi's lair, she made a point to keep herself mainly in the shaded area to keep people from becoming suspicious. Though the simple ordinary act of sitting upon the clocktowers steps seemed to attract a lot of attention from the locals. It wasn't surprising, considering how the Volturi were all about keeping vampires a secret she was sure that they didn't come out much, especially during the Italian summer. She wondered if they even came out of the front entrance ever, or if they just didn't come out at all.
... That would be a sad reality...
Someone cleared their throat and her attention turned to a woman that stood before her. The woman was probably no older than twenty-five with a perfectly neat coffee-colored high ponytail and matching bangs that framed her perfect diamond-shaped face. Her olive skin matched her sparkling brown eyes that were precisely lined with dark liner and mascara with supple and plumped pink lips. She wore an immaculately pressed white pantsuit and looked like the most well-put-together person she had ever seen.
And not to ever offend her dear aunt Alice, but her style was just so vanity vogue cover.
The human woman also looked very annoyed and very professional all at the same time, the words 'rigid' and 'anal' came straight to her mind. "Signorina Renesmee Cullen?" She was taken back by the other woman's beauty and by her scent, she was clearly human but smelled strongly of vampires. "Signorina Cullen?"
She shook her head at the familiar name but steeled herself, she couldn't be a Cullen right now. "I'm sorry it's just Renesmee". The woman curtly nodded her head as she spoke with a thick Italian Accent that any actor playing an Italian would be envious of. "Ah American" She didn't say it so nicely "I am Caprice Maraschino; Signore Afton has instructed me that I am to take you wherever you wish to go".
Her mind instantly went to the woman's name and really wanted to make a comment but stopped as her mind then went back to the story her mother had told her about her first time meeting the Volturi and how the humans involved with them were in on the secret, but there was something about this woman that was different than the last human she had met that was in the lobby area that morning.
Caprice cleared her throat once again and she noted that this Caprice woman was waiting on her and was clearly very annoyed at the situation. "Yes, I'm sorry is it possible to take a trip to the closest city? I need to get some more clothes" She stood up and felt incredibly small next to the tall Italian woman.
Caprice nodded her head as she turned away from her as she spoke. "Follow me then Signorina Renesmee, the car is just over there waiting on us". She shook her head again. "It's just Renesmee".
It was as if the entire Volturi had turned into a gossip column, everywhere he turned everyone was whispering between one another about their hybrid guest, it was as if he were back in the seventeen-hundreds and the humans couldn't stop talking about the Austrian Princess that had become a French Queen. The Cullen, a Cullen, an actual Cullen was there in Volterra of their own free will, without any push from him or his brothers making her go there. It was the biggest thing to be heard about since the last time they had a Cullen actually do something similar.
Aro was unsurprised as he walked into his private study to find his fair-haired brother waiting on him. "Caius" He acknowledged him as he took a seat at his desk.
Caius to Aro's amusement was once more not in a pleasant mood. "Why did you not send the Cullen girl away? If you're not going to recruit her then she doesn't need to be here!" Of course, Caius was never one for change, change was unpredictable and Caius had never been particularly good at handling surprises. "I'm lonely dear brother, while I have our family I need more and Renesmee is fresh and new, connected to the outside world and the human world". Caius didn't believe him, one of his more annoying qualities was that he was paranoid and believed everyone was lying to him. Something he was sure was connected to his past life.
"I highly doubt that you're so lonely you need a child to amuse you, much less a child that wasn't taught how to walk let alone crawl". Clucking his tongue he waved his brother off. "Be that as it may, Renesmee Cullen may be very young but she is more intelligent than you could imagine. It took a lot out of me just to see her mind, her own abilities were clashing with my own, it was so beautiful though. What I learned is that she is more connected to the new world than she could have ever imagined! And we know so much about the old world, I believed it would benefit all of us if we could learn from each other … You forget brother that she is a Cullen and the Cullen coven has a very strong influence over many other vegetarian and private covens that prefer to distance themselves from us".
The wheels in Caius' head were spinning as he caught on. "You're using her name and influence on other vampires … why?" He tilted his head pretending to think over the question. "We need the other covens brother, I was looking at the calendar, our calendar, and realized what year we're in …. We need to protect ourselves, and Renesmee is the key to getting the other clans to provide that protection".
Caius did not believe him still, and this time he was actually telling the truth, 'What a pity' ...Caius questioned him. "You really believe that she's able to influence the other covens to that ability?" He nodded his head as he folded his hands together and leaned back into his chair. "She's a Cullen, do you remember all those years ago when I decided not to kill the Cullen's?" "Of course, I remember the Psychic showed you the end result we all died, the Cullen's and us".
"Yes but at that moment I realized that the Cullen's had such a great network that other vampires came together knowing that they could die, but they were willing to die for the Cullen's, and the Cullen's and their witnesses believed they won that day and word spread that they won. They faced us, the Volturi, and lived to tell the tale! Now people think that they can defeat us, and they believe that we believe they can defeat us". If he wasn't an immortal he was sure that would make his head hurt.
Caius seemed to understand what he was getting at though. "She'll catch on eventually won't she? You say she is intelligent, intelligent people are harder to trick". "We won't be tricking her; she needs us just as much as we need her" Caius slid into the chair across from him and he knew he wanted to know more. "I saw her, every part of her, Isabella has shielded her from her vampire lineage, wanting her to be as human as possible, she's not even allowed to hunt anymore, surviving only on human food, save for the occasional sip from her mother's milk". He allowed his comrade to take in the information he'd just been confided with.
Caius's eyes went wide as he leaned back in his chair, the outrage painted clearly across his eyes and voiced into his words. "Can you even consider her a vampire then? If she doesn't feed like a vampire then obviously she isn't a vampire" Shrugging his shoulders he looked over to a clock as he spoke of what he'd learned from Renesmee's memories. "She is a vampire, she learned when she was younger how to hunt, how to feed, after what happened between us and the Cullens, Isabella is a lot more paranoid about her daughter getting in trouble and us finding out about it … Renesmee is a vampire, Isabella has just been trying to squash that little vampire inside of her for fear of us and for fear that the wolf-boy wouldn't want it. From what I've seen though, Renesmee's vampire side has been begging to be released and if that little vampire comes out and hasn't been groomed properly we all know what could happen".
Caius looked as though he still needed some convincing and he continued to push. "Caius, my long-time friend, what's bothering you?" Caius's red eyes looked away and towards the bookshelves. "It's rather odd that the Cullen hybrid came here at this point of the calendar … It seems as though she may play an important role".
They couldn't think like that, it could distract them all and they could not afford to be distracted. "I would not say something like that, while it is possible it is also not, we should not dwell on the what if's Caius … Let us help nurture the little vampire until we are unneeded and when the time has come she'll rally with us- for us".
Caius seemed more relaxed about the Cullen girl's presence now and he tossed his own suggestion into the foray. "Shall I send in Chelsea to help smooth the hybrid over to us?" Waving his hand he watched as a fly caught itself into a spider's web. ... 'That boy needs to find a better caretaker for this area' He explained to his fair-haired brother. "No Caius, we cannot force her to us, it needs to be natural, Renesmee may not want to admit it, but when it comes to us, she is just as paranoid as the others are … The difference is she prefers to hope for the better outcome on things, so we'll give her the better outcome".
Caius nodded his head in understanding. They turned their heads towards the door and acknowledged the vampire waiting on them. "Come in Afton". The skinny redhead walked in with the electronic he was so fond of and placed it in the hands of a servant. "I am sorry to disturb you, but I have been informed that the Cullen girl and Caprice were seen leaving Volterra, I am told that they were talking about going to the city".
Well like the rest of her family he was sure that she'd use the money she had access to rather quickly. "Thank you Afton, was there anything else?" He grabbed a small stack of cards from his coat pocket. "Yes, My Lords, these are the calls that came in today". He handed them over. "I should inform you that Carlisle Cullen is waiting for you on the phone". ... 'Well isn't that interesting?' "Ah Dearest Carlisle!" He already knew what this call would be about and was very interested in what was about to be said. "Afton! Let us take the call!" Afton took out his small electronic from his coat pocket and placed it in Aro's hands he pressed on a button for him signaling that it was okay to speak.
"Carlisle old friend! What a pleasant surprise this is!" He took note that Caius leaned forward as he listened in, clearly intrigued. "Thank you Aro for taking my call so quickly, I know you are very busy". "You are a dear friend Carlisle and as such you are always moved to our top priority! Now I know this is not a social call Carlisle so please tell me what has happened?" There was a long silence on the other end of the call and Aro knew it was Carlisle's way of saying he hadn't wanted to make the call. "It's my granddaughter Renesmee, she ran away. I was calling to see if-" "Worry not Carlisle I will put my best tracker on the mission to retrieve your darling granddaughter!"
Of course, he wasn't truly planning on setting Demetri on the girl and sending her back just yet.
"No Aro thank you, but that won't be necessary, just please if you or your guard see her I would like to request that you keep her away from any of mine and Edwards associates" 'Oh how intriguing Carlisle didn't want his granddaughter to be found, this is getting very interesting ...' He looked over to Caius who's thoughts no doubt mimicked his own as he moved closer to the device Carlisle was on. Feigning idiocy he exclaimed."I don't believe I understand Carlisle". "Aro, you have your people everywhere, so please I beg of you keep her hidden from her parents. If Isabella gets her back ... Your hand will be forced". He understood all too well. 'So Carlisle did understand that Renesmee's future offspring held the lives of he and the rest of his coven, he was always my favorite, so intelligent ... Shame he waste himself away on a vegetarian lifestyle', "I understand Carlisle, what of Edward though? Won't he find out about this?" "I can handle Edward". "Of course Carlisle". The line hung up and he gave the phone back to Afton.
Caius spoke up then, clearly intrigued by what had happened. "Well, that was rather interesting". He nodded his head in agreement. "Carlisle seems to understand something we all do". "Yes brother, he clearly does ... So Aro shall we grab Isabella Cullen and the shifter now and contain this?"
If Isabella were to get her hands on Renesmee, Isabella would no doubt force the girl to have children with the shifter, and a hybrid child of the sort could not be created, it would be a shame too, Isabella was such a gifted vampire, it would be a waste to have to kill her, so much potential in that one. "No, we cannot just simply destroy her and the shifters for something that hasn't been done yet, so we continue on with our plans".
Caius nodded his head in agreement before pushing for a different idea. "Very well, but may I suggest locking down Italy then? With the Calendar ending, we must protect ourselves, call our people back, I suggest we keep all supernaturals out, at least for the time being, this will also help keep the Cullen's and shifters from entering and finding the hybrid". Yes, yes it would indeed.
"A fine suggestion Caius!" This was going to be a fun development. He turned towards the redhead in the room. "Afton inform the guard we're on a lockdown and call back all those that are out on assignments" Afton began typing away on his electronic. "Anything else that you require My Lords?"
"Yes when Renesmee returns let her know to meet us at sunrise tomorrow, also have Felix dispose of the caretaker for these rooms, they're looking rather nasty". Afton nodded his head before he left the room.
Yes, this was going to be very enjoyable to watch.
"What's on the agenda for tomorrow brother?" He looked towards Caius happily. "Our wives are going to help us nurture the little vampire".
'Oh my son's my son till he gets him a wife, but my daughter's my daughter all her life'
-Dinah Mulock Craik-
There was never a time when Edward and Isabella didn't know where Renesmee was or whom she was with and what they were doing. Renesmee was always the perfect child, doing as she was told with no issues, she could even be left to make her own decisions because everyone knew she'd make the right decision. To top off Renesmee's spectacular abilities she was never one to complain about anything, though there were sometimes when she understood why she wasn't permitted to get too close to humans, she still gave a bit of an attitude when she was refused to hang out with them. Even then though, they never imagined anything like this.
Renesmee was yelling at them, yet she wasn't even there in the room, she was crying out for them to help her, the walls in her bedroom spoke so many words yet stood still and cold. Nobody could have foreseen this sudden turn of events and none of them were able to stop it.
Bella looked down at the photo of her and Renesmee. Renesmee was eleven years old at the time of her first graduation, they had been living in Spain as it was still too soon for Renesmee to be introduced to Forks, what with some of her former human friends still there. Renesmee had been so young, but she learned how the family played high school students. Knowing that each one of them took on a high school stereotype. Rosalie the beautiful unattainable and rude popular girl, Emmett the tough and goofy all-star athlete, Alice the fashionable and high-energy nice popular girl. Jasper was the quiet and intelligent twin to Rosalie who was dating the charming Alice. Edward the handsome natural musician, her the somehow interesting clumsy girl.
Then there was Renesmee, youthful and vibrant, new and enigmatic but oh-so radiant, so many different types of people gravitated towards her, like moths to a flame. They came in droves wanting to speak to her, be near her, touch her, smell her. Everything and anything they could get from her they tried but failed oh so tragically.
She remembered that one time Renesmee had been so angry, so sad, she had wanted to take a few classes during the daytime, claiming it would look good on college applications, but they all knew better. She really just wanted to try to make human friends during the day.
Of course, they had refused her and she had been crushed.
She understood, she understood it all too well, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. The tree of course being her own mother Renee. The social butterfly, always fluttering from one flower to another, never one to stay in one place for far too long.
Renee was human though and Renesmee was a vampire, and vampires were not the type that stood still, only in appearance, but physically they couldn't stay still for fear of petrification. Although a mere rumor, still sometimes she could see signs of it in other vampires. Vampires though were social creatures, their pull towards humans wasn't just for food, it was also out of nature that they couldn't stay away. The need to interact with the world was hard to resist. Resist they needed to though, for fear of discovery. Discovery meant death and she couldn't have her daughter …
Petrification … Vladimir.
Vladimir and Stefan had developed such a fondness for Renesmee when they had come to Forks the first time, and it had been reciprocated on Renesmee's side as well. So much in fact that the family had even entrusted them at one point to hide Renesmee and care for her when they were invited to Volterra when Renesmee was only five. Till this day she never understood how the two Romanians had been so taken with Renesmee or vise versa, she supposed it didn't matter though, it happened, and she knew that once the blonde Romanian found out about Renesmee he'd kill her.
The love that had developed between Renesmee and Vladimir had not been sexual in any sort, but still, it had been dangerous, he had even refused to give them back their daughter, and had it not been Stefan who'd been able to convince him to. She was positive that something bad would have happened that day.
Another photo of Renesmee had caught her eye and she placed the one in her hands back onto the table.
Renesmee's sixteenth birthday party.
It was as if it was yesterday, as always everything had been planned and decorated by Rosalie and Alice, even after they had argued with Renesmee the previous week about having a sixteenth birthday party, she hadn't wanted one but the Cullen clan just would not except it. She was their baby, she deserved to have a birthday party. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted a party though, no Renesmee had just officially turned sixteen and unlike Nahuels sisters she hadn't reached puberty at seven, physically she was eighteen, but her period had not appeared, not until the week before her sixteenth birthday and she remembered how Jacob had reacted, like a dog in heat, and she remembered Renesmee.
Oh, how her daughter had cried like it was the end of the world.
Her birthday party came and Renesmee had turned around her attitude, but now as she was reanalyzing her daughter, she realized that Renesmee had not been herself, the smiles didn't reach her eyes, she kept herself from touching people, and the light in her eyes seemed faded. It was as if Renesmee had forfeited whatever she was battling in her head.
She'd never know what Renesmee had been fighting, Renesmee was gone. Everyone was gone.
Jake wasn't answering his phone, the two packs were keeping her from entering the reservation. Edward and Carlisle were tracking down leads, Alice and Jasper had left for France, and Rosalie and Emmett had gone to Alaska and they all left her, except Esmee. Being around Esmee was hard though, she was the perfect mother and with Renesmee running away Esmee's presence made her feel as if she had done everything wrong.
Thanks to Jacob and the pack though Charlie knew about their world and talking to him about things had been so simple since he was protected by the pack from the Volturi. Unfortunately, she should have felt better after talking with her father about Renesmee, but the world was against her.
Charlie and Sue were agreeing with what Alice believed. Charlie believed he could read Renesmee very well and that he knew eventually she was going to not want to be part of the 'Creepy Brady Bunch'. So when she came to him and Sue crying over Renesmee's disappearance he was not surprised in the least.
It broke her heart even more now though, the one person that was always supposed to support her was against her and now she was learning whom she could really trust and when she got Renesmee back, none of them were ever going to be able to go anywhere near her, near them.
Renesmee smiled happily as she and Caprice moved through the crowds of people, stopping to look at clothes on window displays, so many places and she wanted everything. She would have everything she wanted.
As she and Caprice grabbed all the clothes and accessories they wanted she thought about her mother and how she wouldn't have liked any of the clothes she was buying. Her mother and Jacob liked to dress her up in jeans and plaid shirts with sneakers. Anything else wasn't happening. She knew why her mother and Jacob preferred it even if they wouldn't admit to it. Renesmee needed to dress like human Bella because Jacob loved human Bella, not Vampire Bella.
Renesmee was just play-dough being formed into her mother and she just could not allow that to happen, grabbing clothes that she would have never been allowed to wear may have been a cliche sort of way to rebel, but she really was tired of being the Malibu Barbie, she frowned... Forks Bella? ... Hmmm. ... She'd figure out how to word it better another time.
As they left the store and packed the clothes into the car Caprice turned towards her. "Are you hungry yet?" The question was simple, and her answer was as well. "Yes," It brought up a very good question.
Was she willing to change her diet as well? Her family made sure to keep up a human diet for her and she hadn't been allowed to hunt since the Volturi had left Forks, the entire encounter changed her mother, warped her mind somehow. Renesmee could be human, could live as a human, and so she did.
So now the question was did she want to destroy human Renesmee and become vampire Renesmee? ... Or could she somehow manage to live in both worlds as the Hybrid that she was? Was that even possible?
She supposed she could figure it out after she ate. "So what do you think we should eat?" Caprice looked over the moon as she started telling her about the fabulous restaurants in Pisa.
Carlisle watched the door swing open to his and Edwards hotel room, immediately grabbing the towel he'd know was needed. Leah's furred form walked through the door and he shut it quickly, turning to find a sweat-drenched woman standing in the middle of his hotel room.
She looked annoyed as he threw her the towel. "Honestly, you should answer your phone, I find out from Seth that you guys left for New York, and then I called again after I got off the plane and you still didn't answer forcing me to shift and track you down the old fashion way!"
"Hello, Leah". She didn't shy away from him as she wrapped the towel around herself, he remembered when he'd first met her how she used to blush at just the mere thought of showing even just a little skin around them, now she was a true supernatural, leaving behind her silly mortal morals and taking on that of immortal beliefs, skin- was just skin.
… Most of their minds, certain members of his family and Leah's Alpha seemed to think differently, but it was useless trying to change them.
Leah got into Edwards's bag and began to riffle through it as she looked for clothes to wear. "I do apologize you must have called when I was on the phone". She ignored him as she slipped on a pair of sweatpants. Leah changed the subject, back to the age-old question of how an imprint worked. "Do you think Jacob truly imprinted on Renesmee?"
"After I conducted several interviews on the other pack members I believe he did, the symptoms are all coherent with an imprint, why do you ask?" She was hesitant and he understood it was a touchy subject for her especially. "I think Jacob is dying … I think it's because Bella is …. A vampire". He was intrigued, she continued on. "There's a story in our tribe it's told to all of us, especially the pack members, anyway, what people don't know about that story is that the chief, his third wife was his imprinted, his first and only imprinted wife, and at one point the imprinted wife died after sacrificing herself to protect the tribe and the chief immediately afterward shifted and stayed with her until they took her body away and he, the chief of his tribe stayed in his wolf skin and then ran away into the woods never to be seen again. … I was thinking if we share the skin of wolves are we not like them?"
Canine's runaway when they are about to die or are ill, but it wasn't really running away, it was a defense mechanism, they had to hide from other predators until they healed. He tried thinking of something that could explain Jacob's sudden change, it was a horrible suggestion but it was possible. "What if it is Renesmee who is dying instead?" Leah scoffed at his words. "I highly doubt she'd die that quickly after running away from home". He reminded her. "Jacob is dying though". She still didn't look convinced. "I was thinking maybe because Bella was turned in childbirth … maybe Jacob believed so hard that he tricked himself into believing that he imprinted on Renesmee… Some of the others had gone around their imprints plenty of times after they had first shifted and didn't imprint on the girls immediately. … Maybe Jacob was going to imprint on Bella that day … Maybe the imprint got confused… Renesmee still is a vampire for all intents and purposes she was feeding off Bella, draining her, killing her … Maybe she took so much of Bella's blood into herself that the imprint thought it was Bella".
Renesmee did share more DNA with Bella than she did Edward. It was almost an exact match, almost, definitely different from Bella's own but nearly identical. Leah was onto something, "Renesmee is a hybrid and hybrids are new to me, but I think you may be right. Vampires have the ability to hold onto the blood of a human in their body until they burn it out, which causes them to thirst for more blood, as a hybrid, Renesmee may possibly be able to hold onto that blood she had ingested from birth, almost like gluing onto her own blood, but if that's true then yes it is possible that the imprint got confused and glued itself onto the last piece that was Bella's human part because Bella as a human died in childbirth"
Leah looked very scared then. "That means Jacob is dying because his true imprint has been dead all this time". What a tale they wove, she looked over at him desperate. "You need to go back to Forks and save him". He understood, while Jacob was not a child of his, the boy was still a decent person, nonetheless, the problem still remained. "Jacob is dying because of a magical string connecting him and his imprint, if what you're suggesting is true that means his imprint is dead, I cannot fix that, if I could I would but magic I am not able to do". Lea was clearly frustrated, "So we're just going to let him die!" Leah's temper was getting ahold of her quick.
He shook his head as he attempted to quell the female shifter. "I said I couldn't save him, but I knew ... Know of someone who's capable of saving him" Leah growled, her brown eyes lighting with intense fire. "Then call them and get them over there!" He shook his head, trying to get her to hear reason. "It doesn't work like that, as a vampire, I have rules I have to follow, rules that if broken will cause my death and possibly the death of all those that I love". He knew that she was trying her best to understand what he was saying and he explained as carefully as he could. "Vampires are prohibited from having dealings with other supernatural creatures … To the exception of your kind, shapeshifters … of a sort".
Leah's eyes widened then as she took in his words and let them simmer, figuring out what he was saying but caught up by what he was revealing to her. "Wait there are more types of supernatural creatures out there!"
He nodded his head a part of him very delighted in the fact he could teach her about the world she didn't know and he smiled as he explained."Witches, Elves, Werewolves, were all linked together through blood and magic". Her eyes were big as a child's, filled with innocent wonder and he knew he had completely captured her attention. "Elves are real!" He couldn't help but laugh, at everything she could have said she only pointed towards the most mythical and magical of all. "Oh yes, very real, I've seen one from afar only, they smelled like the purest form of life itself and they are the deadliest of all, no words to describe how stunning they really are, but they are mean, the one I saw was tearing out the jugular of a fully turned werewolf in the middle of the woods with no shame and all pleasure. I had just left the Volturi at the time and had learned myself of the laws that I had never known about. So, I turned around and pretended I never saw anything but the sight of that Elf. He was god-like in beauty and his smell, I never smelled anything so wonderful, not even a singer's blood smelled as good as that".
Leah looked skeptical as she questioned him. "But that vampire, he knew eventually that you saw the elf". He nodded his head. "Seeing is one thing but because I turned a blind eye I was saved; had I waited and approached the Elf I would have broken one of our laws and Aro would have found out".
Leah settled down completely as she sat down on the bed and crossed her legs in an Indian position as he got back to the matter at hand and explained to her. "The creature you need, not even you can go to, see she doesn't deal with supernaturals at all, and it makes the request a long-shot because she will in fact be saving the life of a supernatural. Her name is Airlia, I met her when I was still human". That skeptical look was back on Leah's face as she questioned him. "Is she even still alive then?" Very much. "Oh yes, I saw her once after I had been turned at least a hundred years later, at first I thought she was a ghost, but then I realized she was very much real, then I supposed she was a descendant but she approached me and said my name".
He remembered her so very clearly even still to this day, her dark blonde curls, her light olive skin, those mysterious hazel eyes that held so many answers to the questions about the universe. 'Carlisle' She had whispered his name so quietly, but his vampiric ears had still been able to catch it. She had looked so out of place wearing the tight corsets and big hooped skirts, the fashion of the times.
"So how do we find her?" He looked up at the ceiling, still rather shaken with the realization that Airlia had somehow become an immortal without shedding her mortal body. "Oh she's not hard to find, after that incident Aro became intrigued, witches are humans technically so she shouldn't have been alive, he wanted to know how she still was, till this day she's evaded him, but she's very connected to the human world. Anyhow, she owes me a favor that's overdue by three hundred years, but as I cannot speak to her and she will not speak to you, we have to send in the only humans that we know that have a link to the supernatural world" She sighed and she laid completely across the bed then, stretching out her dark tanned legs. "We need to call my mom and Charlie huh". He nodded his head. "Yes, we do".
She groaned, "Mom is so not going to like this". He smiled, he understood, the Native American mother of three was very much a superstitious woman and kept herself far away from all things witchy, but it was fine. Native American Magic and Neo-Witchcraft were a whole other pond of what true witches were like.
"Carlisle". He looked back at the woman laying on the opposite bed. "Yes Leah?" She turned her head over towards him. "If Jacob and Renesmee were to have children what would they be?" The question that constantly lingered in his mind as he had watched Renesmee grow up and Jacob chase after her.
"Something dangerous". He looked back at her and noted that tears were running down her face. "Carlisle". "Yes, Leah?" She choked on a sob as she spoke. "After we save Jacob, I need you to kill me". He looked over at the beautiful Native American woman not sure how to respond since he had not been expecting that.
Caprice was so very lady-like as she sat elegantly across the table from her and ate her meal. Everything smelled delicious, but a part of her just wasn't hungry like she had been earlier, like the human across from her was. "Are you not hungry Renesmee?" She looked back down at her plate and continued to push the food around.
"I am but I think I'm just finally feeling that jet lag coming on". Caprice nodded her head. "Yes, I've heard about that Jet Lag, and how horrible it can be". She pushed her plate away and folded her hands underneath her chin. "So tell me Caprice how does one get a job as a secretary with Aro and the others?"
Caprice placed her fork down on her plate and patted her lips daintily with a napkin before she responded, she was just so posh. "I was working as a waitress in a bar in Trieste and one day a beautiful person walks in and post an ad on the bulletin board for a job in sleepy little Volterra, I hadn't been having any luck with jobs in Trieste besides the bar, so I called and got an interview immediately before I could even start work though I was sent to an etiquette school to learn how to be a proper lady".
That explained a lot, she could bet all her cards that it was Afton that had made sure she learned proper customs. "So you're from Trieste then?" She shook her head, "No I am actually from Sicily, but my grandfather lived in Trieste at the time, so I moved there to help take care of him, we've since moved to Volterra though". So she had a family that she lived with, that was interesting.
"And he's not suspicious of the people you work for?" Caprice smirked over at her, "Oh he's very suspicious, all people are. Aro, Caius, Marcus they are all so very …. Fascinating to the people of Volterra, but the pay deters me from asking any questions, among other things ...". She wondered if Caprice was trying to say that she knew what she was working for and what may have been promised to her.
"What of you Renesmee? Where are you from and why is everyone so fascinated with you? I received two phone calls the moment you got here the first one was from Afton but the second was from a friend of mine, she works there with me and she says everyone just can't shut up about you … The American girl that crashed into Volterra to hang out with the creepiest people".
She couldn't help but laugh. "Creepiest people, is that what the town folk call them?" Caprice pushed her plate away from her as she looked at her carefully. "You can't tell me that their presence doesn't disturb you even just a little? Look at them they are … They all have red eyes, and skin like snow, but so very beautiful … it's quite the sight, I've seen pictures of Albino's before but these people are something else".
Albino? So that's how the Volturi got around a town full of humans they told people they were albino's, huh, she would have never thought of that. "I guess you're right, they are a bit disturbing". Especially since they weren't even human, a human being around a vampire, it was like a wolf being next to a sheep, they knew they were the prey and that it was going to tear them apart the first chance it got. Humans had a secret sixth sense that never was tapped into unless they were around something that didn't belong, they knew, somehow they just knew when something wasn't right.
Did humans feel the same way about her? Did they know that she wasn't completely human? Vampires were able to, most at least.
"Anyhow I'm just a small-town girl that decided to hang out with the creepiest people she knew". Caprice's smirk was still in place but her eyes glittered with all the juiciest gossip one could possibly wish to know. "I heard you were wearing a wedding dress". Of course, that's what people focused on, the wedding dress. Caprice continued on as she watched her, Caprice was a fascinating human, watching a lion as if she herself was a lion. "You seem too young to be getting married". She shrugged her shoulders as she replied. "As I said I'm from a small town and people don't really frown upon teenagers getting married there". Caprice tilted her head, her long coffee-colored hair swaying in the same direction. "Then why did you run?" She sighed as she tried to explain what could not be explained. "Love for a friend is completely different compared to the love between a man and a woman". Those brown eyes seemed to read into her too well though, as she continued to push for more information. "Then why even attempt it?"
Caprice sure was a curious one. She explained the best she could. "Sometimes we do things to make others happy, even if it means sacrificing our own happiness" Caprice looked away from her then as she spoke. "That seems like a very depressing way to live" She agreed. "It is, but it was all I ever knew". "Well it's a good thing you left, your much too young to get married, you still have to experience life before you consider such a thing".
She could almost feel her brow trying to jump off her face as questioned the other woman. "Young, you can't be that much older to consider me young". Caprice shrugged her shoulders in a very unladylike form. "Maybe, maybe not, but I know that getting married young is not a very wise decision".
Considering all of her family were from different times, all were married to one another, and all had gotten married rather quickly after meeting, it wasn't very surprising to see that all of her family had the old fashioned belief that girls at her age were supposed to be married with children. The reality made it impossible for her to make a retort towards the Italian girl. So she'd give her that much.
Thankfully Caprice seemed content with what she had learned so far. "So how did you hear about them? You're an American and I doubt that you get the Volterra Newspaper". She was joking, she really hoped there was no such thing as a Volterra newspaper, that would just be too good to be true.
"No, Aro knows my family, they go way back". Like almost two hundred years back. Caprice didn't look like she believed her and what was interesting was that it was true. "They do". Caprice was skeptical, and it was surprising because this woman seemed to read people very well. "Everyone that I've ever seen that Aro knows looks just like them, red eyes, white skin and acts like anyone else is a sheep, you on the other hand, don't look like anybody that Aro would associate with". Because he really didn't associate with her family anymore. She smiled grimly as she made her retort, "Well fortunately for me, Aro does know my family and he likes my-" Really she needed to create a background here, her own father was physically her age so he couldn't be her father "Father enough to take me in while I'm here".
Caprice didn't look convinced at all. Needing to get off the topic at hands she turned the conversation to something less about her and more about the Italian woman. "You know you're very curious for someone who looked clearly annoyed this morning". Caprice nodded her head in agreement. "I was annoyed this morning because I hadn't had enough time to grab any espresso on my way to work".
Of course, that's why she had been annoyed this morning.
Pushing open the large double doors to the private library that belonged to the elder Vampire's apartment Alec stepped through and looked around the room until he spotted the vampire looking out the grandiose windows, staring hard at the large and bright moon that hung over Volterra.
Marcus's voice was deep and gravely as the elder acknowledged his presence. "Tomorrow's moon will be full". He nodded his head in agreement knowing that the elder had more to say. "How is your sister? I hear that Aro has taken her off the rotation in order to calm her down". Oh his dear sister, such a spoilt vampire, such a dramatic vampire. "She'll be fine, thankfully the Cullen girl is only able to project her thoughts and not make them real".
There was amusement in Marcus's tone and he was taken back by it, there had only been a few times in the last couple of centuries that something captured Marcus's attention. "Ah yes, the young Cullen …. Tell me Alec do you agree with Aro's decision to allow the girl to stay with us?" He blinked unsure if Marcus really wanted him to answer the question or if it had been rhetorical, but as Marcus stared at him expectantly, he decided then that it was a true question.
"I believe that it is rather coincidental that the Cullen found her way to us just as word has made its way to us that her family has instigated a revolt, Aro and Caius have even gone so far as to call back all the guard from their missions and lockdown Italy".
Marcus seemed rather interested in this Cullen as he spoke. "It is true that it is a rather peculiar time for her to have come to us ... Especially considering what time in the calendar we are coming into ... Do not believe the rumors about the Cullen's starting a revolt against us though, that is not why we are calling back everyone, no the reasons behind that are not yet on a need to know basis, but what do you think about her? Do you think she should be here with us?"
He wondered, Marcus seemed so curious about the little Cullen. "Well she is a young vampire and she is from the modern world, something that Aro has been interested in learning about and he does enjoy teaching the younglings about our ways and developing vampires into greatness like Carlisle himself had been, so I believe I understand why he allowed her to stay with us, other than that I don't think I really have any true thoughts on the matter, she is not any concern of mine and I don't think I'll concern myself with her, children aren't exactly my forte"
Marcus's lip turned up just a bit and he knew that whatever he had just said amused the elder. "I suppose she is a child in a women's body". He wasn't sure why Marcus was so interested in the Cullen but whatever it was he would tell him soon. "Alec what is it that has brought you here to me?" He remembered then why he had been sent to speak with the Elder. "Yes, I was instructed to inform you that we will still be holding the Samhain festivities this year, Aro would like to know if you will be joining us this time?" Probably not, Marcus had not joined in on the festivities since the death of Didyme and considering Aro had taken him and Jane in long after the death of his dearly departed sister he knew for a fact that Marcus had never once gone to the festival since him and Jane had arrived.
He shocked to his core though as Marcus surprised him with his answer. "I think I might just go this time; from what I saw earlier today I believe that Demetri has found himself a mate finally and many people will be so surprised when she's announced to us".
At first, he wasn't positive about what Marcus was talking about until he had remembered that Felix had stated that Demetri had been almost hypnotized by the Cullen girls scent, as if he had found his own singer. "The Cullen girl? Demetri wants her as a wife? She's not exactly his type" Not at all she was so very … Nothing like what Demetri usually bedded.
"Yes well as you know Demetri's going to be in a very different position soon and for that, he needs to have a certain look to his being a great advisor, If I believe what Aro is planning, he is going to vet the girl to be the perfect mate and advise Demetri to do just as she says, as if she herself were Aro".
Demetri was planning on settling down with the Cullen girl … How frightful.
"I believe this year's festivities are going to be so much fun to watch". Oh, how he knew Heidi was not going to be happy about the newest addition living inside Volterra when she came back for the festival.
A part of him wondered why Aro wouldn't allow Heidi to be Demetri's mate, but then he remembered that Heidi was a pivotal member amongst their ranks especially considering that she was the person that made it possible for them to eat without fear of being caught. It would cost too much to lose her just so that she could play trophy wife and be arm candy during festivals.
Decidedly he concluded the conversation. "I suppose it will be a night to remember, but either or I will let Aro and Afton know of your decision so that we can make the proper adjustments" Marcus responded in an apathetic tone, telling him he too was done with the conversation, "Yes, yes, do that boy". He waved him off as he turned back to the window enthralled with something outside that he'd seen.
He tried to listen in but the humans outside were completely blocking out what he wanted to hear that was so interesting to Marcus, instead, he decided to take his leave signaling to the guards that he was done, they closed the doors behind him and he took his time getting back to Aro.
Pulling out his phone he left the message for Afton so that he could do whatever he needed to do with the information. As he waited at the elevators, he wasn't sure how he felt with the new knowledge that Demetri was going to have a permanent mate with the Cullen girl.
It was an interesting move that was for sure, especially considering where she came from. She wasn't just a Cullen, she was a hybrid, and for a vampire to mate with a hybrid the possibility of them creating a child would be something, abilities aside, if Aro was doing what he was believed he was doing, it was a fantastic idea.
They could create a day-walking immortal, one that could hide between the worlds of human and supernatural, one whose mother came from the most intelligent of covens that were known throughout, and the father's coven was the most powerful, that was astounding.
The doors opened and the first thing was that whiff of loveliness and he made sure not to look surprised as he walked through the door.
There she stood, the little hybrid that he was just thinking about, what was the odd's? He smirked as he watched her stiffen up at his presence, she was so young and glowing with her humanity, and she smelled delicious. ... This was going to be fun.
The day had been productive, and she was happy about that, she'd gotten her shopping done and had picked up a few electronics that were necessary for her to get herself going. Sighing she looked up at the numbers on the elevator, it seemed as though it was taking longer to get to her floor. Maybe she was just anxious about getting to her room and organizing the closet. The moment they had gotten to the gates of Volterra which had not only been replaced but also closed, one of the guards had taken over the wheel for them and dropped them off at the front of the clocktower before taking the car and all her bags to the garage.
Caprice had stated that they probably hauled all her things up to the rooms through the servant's tunnels, something she was now not sure how to feel about, she knew that they had servants, but she hadn't thought about how they were getting to her rooms. Something she should have thought about when Afton had assigned someone to her.
The doors opened and stole her thoughts away, well not the doors opening but the person that had been waiting on the other side of the doors.
Seeing him without his other half made her realize how truly handsome he was, especially the best part where there wasn't a blonde demon glued to his side, so she was free to look all she wanted. Those full lips and large eyes, his shiny brunette hair and lithe frame, the way the expensive Italian suit clung to his body like a nylon glove. He stood so casually and so predatorily. Like a lion lazing about with nothing to do.
He moved like a lion too, watching her as he moved to stand next to her in the elevator and she gulped carefully hoping that he didn't take notice, but he had heard her and he smirked, and that smirk was so sinful.
Alec was no Adonis like Demetri and certainly not a mighty warrior like Felix but much worse, he had this sort of nineteen-eighties teen heartthrob vibe going for him, perhaps even a Phoenix Rivera mixed with a young Alain Delon thing going for him. The bad boy type that made an ache form between her legs, gods she hadn't felt that in years and she pressed her legs tight together hoping it would help she realized she'd never felt the aching throb as badly as it was now, and by whatever gods existed she hoped he wouldn't notice. Hopefully, he hadn't.
"Pleasant day today I hope". His voice oh his voice was just as deadly as those ruby-colored eyes of his as he turned his head completely to fix them on her. She made sure she didn't stutter as she spoke, but she wasn't sure if it worked or not as she responded, she wasn't even sure she had a voice anymore. "Yes … It" She cleared her throat and looked away from him. Getting her bearings together now that she wasn't looking directly at him, she spoke knowing that he was amused by her. "It was a very productive day".
She avoided looking at him and she knew he was amused by her inability to look directly at him. "That's good to hear". She took a look up at the numbers anxious to get to her rooms as she heard him breathe her scent in and he let out a small groan as he breathed out.
'Holy fuck', she was pretty sure she just had her first orgasm right then. All thoughts fled though as she was suddenly pinned between the cold wall of the elevator and the vampire's cold hard body, and just as suddenly she became eye level with Alec. His eyes were a black abyss that she wanted to get lost in as he breathed her in again. "You smell like sweet plums and sunshine" He closed his eyes as he took in another breath of her, she could swear she could see his mind turning as he tried to figure out what he was smelling on her. "And life". She closed her eyes not sure what to do right now. She could smell the sweet venom pooling in his mouth and leaving his sweet completely unnecessary breath.
There was a wetness gathering quickly between her legs just then and she squeezed them even tighter as she felt him stiffen and groan, they both knew he could smell her. She was terrified and she was also curious and dare she admit extremely turned on, not sure where she found her voice she spoke carefully. "Do I" She took a deep breath as he fixed those black eyes on her. "Do I smell like her?" She didn't need to emphasize who she was talking about. He smirked as he leaned forward completely, nearly touching her neck and taking in a deep breath again. "No, not at all". Well, that was good to know, he pulled away slowly and looked down at her, a devilish smirk painted across his equally devilishly cute face. "Why ever so interested little Cullen?" He was amused by her and she did her best not to look him in the eyes, they were so black, so bewitching. "It's nothing". The elevator stopped, feeling a little bold she leaned her head against the wall, baring her neck to him, and questioned carefully "Will I be allowed to leave?" He raised a hand to her chin, and she noted that it was gloved, and she was so very, very thankful for that.
She truly didn't want him inside her head right now as the fantasies her mind came up with started on a merry-go-round in her mind, most of them staring him and her against the very wall they were pinned to now.
He turned her face towards him, and she was stuck at that moment, his onyx eyes slowly bleeding back to those large rubies. "This time". He backed away from her then and she walked carefully out of the elevator. "Oh, Little Cullen". She turned around and watched as he leaned against the wall, looking like a restrained lion ready to pounce as he held tightly to the railings. "The next time something like this happens, know that you won't be given the same chance". She nodded her head as the doors closed.
She breathed out and tried to calm her nerves before she took the steps she remembered to her rooms. Not sure exactly how she was supposed to act at the moment.
One thing was for sure, she had never felt so much like a wanted woman before that moment, and she felt powerful with that knowledge.
I am so sorry this took so long to post, but some things came up that took me away from my computer, but I shouldn't have any issues, fingers crossed and knock on wood - Anyways I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you so much for the reviews, always love to read the reviews you all leave good, bad I take it and it helps my writing improve.
Alain Delon if none of you are familiar with is a 1960's french cinema actor, with a bad-boy reputation and was oh so very handsome. ...
Maraschino - A very popular cherry - also I was watching Grease and wanted to change up a few things especially this name it's just so .. Lush!
I want to see if I can keep this with the traditional writing that Lady Grimshaw did, but at the same time I want to get people to understand that Renesmee had lived a sheltered life, a very closely watched and regulated life. Due to the fact that Renesmee was Jacobs imprinted, I would believe that talking with other boys would have been very hard for her, vampire, hybrid, and human all alike. Especially since in this story Bella has been grooming and preparing Renesmee to marry Jacob, so her thoughts and reactions are mixed between teenager and adult because she understands that she's not some normal being, and has been raised in this household with immortal vampires while her mother attempted to keep her as human as possible to please Jacob, so her thoughts and actions will be going back and forth from that teenage thinking process to that adult thinking process because she's in limbo.
Her sexual responses will and would most likely be the same as she's never been allowed to really enjoy flirting when you think about it. Her mother has been preparing her to marry this boy so if she's going to school with her parents, her mother, it would be very hard to talk with boys and or girls at that with her mother right next to her. Also on that note, her father is there with her as well as Jacob. I expect it would all be very awkward ...
She'll be okay though, I think this character could have a good decent head on her shoulders if we can keep her head on her shoulders of course.
Once more thank you for your reviews.
aljaira, Starfish20, Zeena002, acederaruss
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave any reviews all are welcomed and appreciated.
-Aethi