Three steady heartbeats in the Cullen household, ticking slowly. It was dark night, and Carlisle, Verena and Reneesme were sleeping, each in their respective bedrooms. The vampires still could not get used to the fact that Carlisle now suddenly felt the need to close his eyes and be out of it for hours and hours. How very..human.

Edward and Esme went hunting, but not together. Esme made sure to leave alone, before anyone even realize she was gone. Edward did not like that – he wanted to talk to Esme and question her on her thoughts that he deemed "unacceptable". Knowing her sometimes very judgemental son, Esme run for the hills, and fast, too.

Thalia and Jasper were back from their previous short trip to the woods, but chose to seclude themselves in the farthest room in the house. They both made many calls, presumably to Volterra. Aro was on the verge of flying over. Caius was basically barking and losing his ever-loving shit because no one saw what needed to be done, immediately. Either kill Carlisle or change him – again. He's a human that knows about vampires. The law is the law.

With Felix and Emmet still watching over Stefano who went through his transformation in some godforsaken cabin, and Alice and Marek being completely unavailable for obvious reasons, Rosalie and Bella found themselves starting uncomfortably at the TV screen, sitting in the spacious living room, and trying to ignore the fact that just a few steps away, there sat the actual vampire king, silently existing.

What to tell a man who is not centuries, but millenia old?

Nothing, that's what.

It took a full hour, but Marcus was so still, so petrified, that the women somehow relax and managed to ignore his presence.

"Edward's an idiot. But he loves you.", Rose suddenly said. She was never one for subtle introductions.

Bella's face showed a quick flash of hurt.

"He loves me, but apparently not enough", Bella finally answered.

"Don't be dramatic", Rose rolled her pretty eyes.

"He implied that Reneesme was, or is, not a normal baby!", Bella growled quietly.

"As I said, he's an idiot", Rose nodded.

"He would want nothing more than to trace Carlisle steps. Do you know what that means, Rose?", Bella asked, her voice laced with agony, "Even in immortality, I can't be sure of him. He keeps on slipping away from me. Rose, you know what I went through to be with him. And here, at the first chance, he longs to leave me – again! – and our child! What kind of a mate is that?"

"He's not.", a quiet male voice was heard.

Both women startled and turned towards its source. It was Marcus, of course.

"Excuse me?", Bella said, her eyes wide.

"Edward and you are not mates.", Marcus said impassively.

"How would you know?!", Bella asked, clearly indicating that she thought Marcus couldn't possibly know first thing about her and Edward's relationship.

"Uh, Bella, he actually has a gift..", Rose started explaining.

"NO!"

"I don't know how it works and if it's accurate all the time..", Rose tried, making Marcus smile lightly.

"Shut up both of you! Edward IS my mate and that's that!", Bella yelled.

In less than a second, Jasper was in front of Bella, putting her in a deathly grip.

"Do NOT yell at your king, you fool", he hissed, furiously. He then turned to Marcus, still holing Bella immobile, "Please accept my sincerest apologies on behalf of the Cullen coven. I am afraid this is the consequence of the coven leader's much too liberal approach in vampire education. They simply do not know better. Please do forgive their ignorance and spare them, especially this young one, the mother to a most exceptional being."

Rose was completely shocked by Jasper's words and his stance. In all the long years she knew Jasper, he never seemed submissive. He at best let Carlisle look at him as equal, but from every other vampire he demanded and got – in this way or that way – respect and submission. Jasper was a natural leader. So, to see him addressing someone with so much respect and sincerely begging and apologizing – that was a first.

But that also meant something else, as Rose quickly realized. Carlisle really failed them in omitting a lot information about the Volturi. Carlisle, for some reason, tended to act as the Volturi simply were not there, and if they were mentioned, he portrayed them as some fairytale-like characters, dangerous but so far away, so unreal. But the Volturi were real. And their king was in their house, sitting and probably deciding if Bella was about to lose her head. And Jasper would do the deed if the king decided so. Rose didn't care about the Volturi, but she immensely respected Jasper. She knew him as an intelligent, strong and rightful man. If Jasper recognized the Volturi as authority, then Rose knew it was because he deemed them worthy of his submission. And that was more than enough for Rose.

Quickly, Rose kneeled before Marcus and said, "It is true, my king. Please do forgive us. If it means anything, I pledge to make sure that this family recognizes your authority to the fullest."

Marcus' eyes watched the newly formed bond of loyalty that invisibly stretched from Rosalie towards himself. He was slightly amazed by its force and sincerity. This young woman obviously meant what she said.

"Forgiven. Do stand up, young Rosalie", he smiled and then slowly looked at Jasper, "Let Bella go, dear Jasper. I can see that she knows no better – yet. And let us take into account that the news I told her is very unpleasant."

"Thank you so much, my king", Jasper nodded seriously and then released Bella.

"I'm sorry", she whispered, shamed. Marcus saw no bond of loyalty formed from Bella, but her apology was sincere nevertheless. She was not stupid – she realized her faux pas was immense.

"That is very fine. I am sorry about the hurtful realization, although I see that you don't believe me. Time will tell you everything, dear child", Marcus almost whispered.

Bella nodded, dazed and confused, and slowly retreated upstairs. Jasper went back to Thalia, shaking his head in frustration. Stupid Cullens and stupid Carlisle with his hippy ideas. Jasper couldn't believe he was part of such poorly led coven for such an embarrassingly long stretch of time.

Rose and Marcus stayed behind, alone. Marcus enjoyed the new connection. Rarely had he seen such fierce loyalty mixed with that much doubt.

"Do ask", he motioned with his hand, "I know questions plague you."

"I thought they were mates", she said quietly.

"They do love each other, but more than that, they love the idea of their love. There is no significant depth in emotion towards the other person. It is especially easy to see when I compare they love for each other with the love for the child. Bella loves the child truly and deeply – much more than she cares for Edward. Edward loves the child – but not nearly as much as Bella. His bond to the child is tainted by his revulsion."

"Revulsion?", Rose repeated in shock.

"He hates what he is himself. He is revulsed by all vampires, even Bella. He loved her more when she was human, I remember his bond to her very well from when I have met the in Volterra. Now the bond has changed, and not for the better."

"Oh God", Rose closed her eyes, "I thought, if anyone, then those two would be the picture-perfect embodiment of love. If they don't work out, then what chance do Emmet and I have..."

"Emmet and you are mates", Marcus smiled, "Your bond is strong and shining."

"Thank you", she smiled, ashamed that she felt so much happiness and relief while her sister's relationship was apparently doomed. Then, she frowned, "But what about Esme and Carlisle? Are they still mates?"

"They are, and this is why Esme is taking this transformation so hard. Carlisle is to far gone for her, now. She feels abandoned and confused, even betrayed."

"Can you help them?", Rose pleaded.

"The only reason why we are here, is to help. We know you think lowly of us and see us as enemies, but know that we do like your coven, or family, if you will.", Marcus stated, "If there is a way to help, we surely will do so."

…..

In the meantime, Esme came back. Quiet as a cat, she snuck into Carlisle's and her bedroom. Her perfect night vision enabled her to watch this young human male in his sleep, without disturbing him.

It was Carlisle, but in the same time, it wasn't. So young, so breakable, so definite and mortal – this young man was not her husband. Oh, how she missed him.

Although she did not make a sound, Carlisle woke up.

"Esme?", he asked into the dark room.

There was no sound, yet he felt her presence.

"Please, Esme", he said, praying to God that his loving wife would not abandon him again.

"Please, Esme", he repeated, and a tear rolled down his cheek as his voice broke in a sob.

"Carlisle", he heard her soft voice and felt a brush of wind next to him.

"Esme", he blindly grabbed the night air, hoping to embrace the love of his life, "Please, darling. Please, my love – let me touch you."

He then felt his hand brush over something ice cold and stone hard.

"Esme", he sighed in relief, "Oh God, this is so weird – you seem cold now."

"I am", she confirmed, her voice sad, "We are very different now."

"But Esme, maybe soon you'll turn back, too", he said stupidly, knowing he actually had no reason to claim that.

"But when, Carlisle? In fifty years? Will you be alive then?", Esme withdraw her hand.

Carlisle finally found the night lamp and turned it on. Esme was sitting on the edge of their bed, looking at him with the saddest look in her eyes.

"And what if it doesn't work for everybody? Nobody has ever heard of turning back to human, you're the first one – don't you think that tells you something?", she asked and then continued with more conviction, "And you're mortal now, too. Even if I turned in, let's say ten years – by then you could fall ill, or die in a car crash. They do that, Carlisle, humans die every day!"

"I know, Esme – it's not like this was my choice!", he said, defensive.

"But it's not like you're not happy with the results!", she almost yelled back.

"There's nothing wrong with being human, on the contrary!", he said angrily.

"I'm not saying it's wrong to be human, Carlisle, I am saying it is wrong for you to be human!", she said icily, "Because I am not human, and your entire family is not human. What do you expect from me – to just stand there and wait around until you die?"

"Well what other option is there?", Carlisle asked dumbfounded.

"To turn you back into vampire, of course!", she now shouted.

"What are you…that is..", Carlisle was at loss with his words, "We don't even know if that would work!"

"Well, we know that this", she waved her hand in his general direction", "won't work."

"What are you saying, Esme?", he asked, fearing the answer. He watched her beautiful face, and the anger was replaced by sadness that he has never seen on her.

"I am saying that I don't recognize you, Carlisle", she said, and then vanished through the window.

…

"That is it, I am coming over, and I'm taking the guard with me, and Caius too", Aro said. Of course he heard the most part of Carlisle's and Esme's row. They weren't very quiet, and Tahlia happened to be close to their bedroom. She had the habit of strolling around when she was using her cell phone, and that's how Aro had the chance to overhear the fight.

"Uncle Aro, we do have the situation under control", Thalia said with zero conviction, while going downstairs.

"No, you don't. If you did, then you would bring back Alice. It would be rather convenient to have her close now, wouldn't it?", Aro snapped.

"Gimme that", Jasper took the phone, much to Thalia's annoyance, "Stop pouting, military business."

That earned him an eyeroll.

"My king, Alice is indisposed right now..", Jasper started explaining.

"Yes, I heard.", Aro said angrily, "She's indisposed with a member of our guard. Which means that my brother, the king, is left with one guard only. No, delete that. Felix is also gone, watching over your human, that you managed to kill."

Jasper closed his eyes in frustration. Aro was furious and had no problem calling him out.

"So", Aro continued, "My beloved brother – and your king, and my beloved niece – and your mate, are without protection, with human Carlisle, who could turn into a frog next minute, for all we know! And you have everything under control, you say?!"

"How can we find Alice?", Thalia quietly asked Rosalie.

"God knows – she's freshly mated, they'll probably be fucking for the next few months", Rosalie blurted out, frustrated.

"It can't be that intense – there surely is a way to reach them?", Thalia pressed on, as Jasper was partly listening to Aro's tirade, and partly to her conversation with Rose.

"How can you ask that? You must know how crazy new mates are. I promise you that Marek wouldn't let her go under no circumstances, he probably won't pull out for the next month..", Rosalie would continue her crude observation, but she was stopped by a growl.

Jasper was growling.

He was clearly and possessively growling at Rose.

And then, he got hit with a baseball bat right into his pretty face. He stumbled, and the cracks on his skin healed quickly. Dazed, he looked up to see his mate, infuriated, holding the baseball bat.

"So, here we have the truth, you snake!", Thalia yelled, "You can't even stand to hear she's not yours anymore? You will growl for your ex-wife in front of your mate?!"

Jasper merely blinked, completely taken aback.

"You don't deserve me, you dog", Thalia shook her head, letting the baseball bat slip out of her hand, "Go and do whatever it is you really want to do."