We went straight to the dining room.

The room was, of course, only used by me. It was furnished with a long oval mahogany table surrounded by chairs – the Cullens were scrupulous about having all the correct props in place. Carlisle liked to use it as a conference room. In a group with such strong and disparate personalities, sometimes it was necessary to discuss things in a calm, seated manner.

I had a feeling that the setting was not going to help much today.

Carlisle sat in his usual seat at the eastern head of the room. Esme was beside him - they held hands on top of the table. Esme's eyes were on me, their golden depths full of concern.

But they were the only ones. The rest of my family watched Elijah.

Rosalie sat directly across from Carlisle, on the other end of the long table. She glared at me, never looking away. Emmett sat beside her, his face wry. Jasper stood against the wall behind Rosalie. Alice sat next to Esme. She rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache.

Both my parents sat together near Carlisle. My father's lips were pressed tightly together and his forehead was creased. The expression looked too old for his young face. My mother seemed more calmed, contained. She eyed me with such understanding for a second I thought she was the one who could read minds.

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," I said, to none of them in particular. "I should've called. But I was," – I blushed –, "distracted."

The weirdest expression went through my father's face. "I saw it," he growled.

"Alice saw it, you mean," I corrected. "Even though I asked her not to." I gave her an angry glance.

"It's not like I had a choice, Nessie," she apologized. "You were gone. We couldn't find you."

"Well, I'm here now. This is Elijah. He's my... Well, I guess you can figure that out since you're all so carefully watching me."

Alice stared up at me wearily. "I think your friend should leave." Her voice was so full of concern I wondered what she was seeing.

"No," I said. "Elijah's with me. And... And I think you're gonna want to hear what he has to say."

Elijah was busy inspecting every corner of the room, but I knew he was paying attention.

"Nessie-" Carlisle began. "What is he?"

Elijah and I exchanged a look. We had agreed to this. "He's an Original," I said trying to downplay the pride in my voice. Their shock was priceless; I wondered if I had looked like that when Elijah told me. I controlled my expression very carefully. It wouldn't do at all to grin. Or to applaud, as I wished I could.

Rosalie scowled. "What the hell does that mean?"

My answer was ready. "It means his mother was the creator of your kind."

"Is that true?" asked Emmett.

To my surprise, was my father who nodded. "You're the mind reader, are you not?" asked Elijah. There was a moment of silence in which I was sure Elijah was showing my father things. And by the look on my dad's face, I was also sure I wouldn't want to see those things.

The rest of the conversation focused most on politics. Elijah told them what he knew – which was a lot – and Carlisle made a whole bunch of questions. He had thought the Volturi were the highest law vampires answered to. Elijah enlightened him – the highest law was the Vampire King.

Then I must have dozed off because next thing I knew they were in the middle of a discussion about my well being. Dad didn't care who or what Elijah was. He wanted him to swear to stay away. He pointed out many reasons why Elijah wasn't good for me. Or healthy. The worst part was Elijah agreed with him.

"But I won't allow anything to happen to Nessie," he finished.

My dad's eyebrows shot up. He wasn't expecting this - he hadn't imagined Elijah would proclaim his devotion to a room full of vampires.

He shook his head once."It is not your place to protect Nessie. It's mine. I-"

"Dad," I said firmly. "It's nobody's place to protect me. I am not made of glass."

"Your mother-"

"I am not my mother! I'm not the fragile human she was when you decided it was your place to protect her."

The atmosphere in the room changed. Everyone seemed thorn between rage and peacefulness and I understood it was Jasper's doing. He was trying to calm everyone down.

I didn't appreciate. I was done with people trying to manipulate, influence me.

If this was headed to a fight I would be ready. I was going to fight my own family over a vampire I barely knew. I wondered if none of them would be at my side. Rosalie so often defended me. Her fondness toward me made her almost blind. Carlisle would certainly not fight anyone, not about anything. Esme and mom... both of them would want me to be happy.

But any of them who opposed my love for Elijah... Yes, I would fight for him. Against my family. I shuddered, but no one seemed to notice.

"I won't let Nessie be in danger, even a slight danger," said Elijah suddenly and his eyes didn't leave my fathers. "You might get into my head and see the things I saw, but you haven't lived through what I've lived through. I don't expect you to understand, though I have the strange impression you do."

They stared at each other - not glaring, but measuring the opposition. Testing each other's determination. I assumed it was a male vampire thing.

"Edward," Alice said, interrupting them.

Dad held Elijah's gaze for a moment more, and then looked at her. He must've seen something in her mind because his mouth fell open with an audible gasp. He stared at her, shocked, only vaguely aware that everyone was eyeing him warily.

I felt myself stiffen up. "What did you see?" I demanded.

Alice didn't look at me, she kept holding my father's gaze. "There's a change coming, Nessie. I don't know what any of it means." She locked her jaw, and I could see that there was more.

"What, Alice? What are you hiding?"

I heard Emmett grumble. He always got frustrated when Alice and my dad had these type of conversation. He wasn't the only one. "Will somebody please let the rest of us in on the mystery?" Emmett complained.

Alice shook her head and sighed. "No one here is blind. We can all see where this is headed, where you both already are. It's more inevitable than the sun rising in the east."

Just like that it was decided. No one seemed in the mood to argue longer.

Elijah and I went outside holding hands. I felt a thrill of excitement just looking at him. My family had agreed, at least for now. We were free to be together. We sat on the porch, but he seemed distracted.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing," said he. "I like your family. The way they live... Very honorable."

"Can I meet your family?" I asked before I could stop myself. I felt the chasm opening between us. I saw the cold, correct look gather in his eyes.

"No," he said. He sat staring abstractedly at the horizon. I held my tongue. Then his eyes were back on me and he smiled his heartbreaking smile. He caressed my face and I saw what his intentions were.

"No," I grabbed him desperately. "I won't let you leave."

"I have to go, Nessie," he said. "But I'll be back."

"Will you?" I asked anxiously. "Will you really be here?"

"As long as you want me," he promised.

"I'll always want you," I warned him and I meant it with all my heart. "Forever."

His expression was unfathomable. He stared into my eyes for an immeasurable period of time.

"You'll learn," he said finally, "that forever is an awfully long time."

Then I was alone in my garden under the night sky. I lied on the ground looking up. There was not a single star shining upon me. The feeling that coursed through me then was unnerving, staggering. Would he really be back for me? I wanted this to be a certainty.

Elijah was mythical, after all.

More tired than I realized, exhausted from the long day of mental and emotion stress, I drifted to sleep with his name on my lips.