Renesmee
Jake and I lay on the grass of my grandparents back yard, soaking up the sun. This is the closest we get to privacy these days. Even when we're at the reservation, we're surrounded by Jake's pack, and tact isn't exactly their strong suit. The truth is, ever since we became an official couple a few months ago, moments alone were at a premium. We had hoped to sneak away under the pretence of hunting today, even though I knew my dad would see straight through it. Unfortunately my whole family has been acting super weird all day. When I brought it up this morning I thought Dad was going to chain me to the wall. So now we're here, confined to the property limits of my family home.
Jake hears them a split second before I do. Footsteps coming from the forest. He's shifted into his wolf form before I even realise what's happening. And then I see it. A face I haven't seen since I was a child, and one I secretly hoped I'd never see again.
"You're one of them." I say, a moment before Jake launches himself towards the intruder.
"Jake stop!" Alice screams as she runs out from the house, throwing herself between the two of them. "I think we're going to want to hear what he has to say." She says, looking past Jacob and straight into my eyes. That couldn't be a good sign.
"Jacob, put some clothes on and meet us inside." Dad says throwing a pair of shorts at Jake. He must have followed Alice out here. He puts his hand on my shoulder, guiding me inside, I turn back to see Alice and the trespasser making their way up to the house behind us, and Jake watching them through narrowed eyes, still ready to pounce if necessary.
"What are you doing here?" Rosalie questions as soon as we enter the living room.
"We should wait for Jacob." Alice interrupts, before anyone gets a chance to say anything else. "I think he's going to have an opinion about this."
"He always does." Rosalie says, making sure we don't miss the sass in her tone. I love her, but her rivalry with Jake has grown old.
"What did I miss?" Jake asks as he comes in, crossing the room to stand next to me, pulling me into him. Ordinarily I would blush at this kind of display in front of my parents, but I can see all the men in my family have adopted the same protective stance. No one is paying attention to Jake and I right now. All eyes are on the unwelcome guest.
"Demetri, it's good to see you." Grandpa says, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"That's kind of you to say Carlisle, but I know it's not the case." Demetri replies. Demetri? He's the one who can find anyone. Was he sent to find us? What did we do this time? "The truth is, I need your help."
"Our help? Why would we help you?" Rosalie practically spits at him.
"It's not for me, not entirely. It's for someone else. Someone I think you'd all be very interested in meeting. Particularly you Renesmee." He says, staring straight at me, I feel Jakes arms tighten around me. "But I need your help getting her away from Aro. He's crossed a line this time."
"This time?" I hear Mom speak up, the implication in her voice clear.
"I know our ways are controversial amongst some members of our community, but order is necessary. Unfortunately, I fear Aro has lost sight of order and has digressed into madness and obsession." Demetri responds. His eloquent charm made him intriguing, but difficult to trust.
"I could have told you that seven years ago." Jake says.
"Perhaps that is when it started, when he met Renesmee." Demetri concedes, looking at me again.
"What does this have to do with her?" Jake snarls.
"When Aro realised that he could produce his own biological offspring, he became obsessed with the idea of a hybrid army, all loyal to their father. He quickly set about impregnating ten women. But none of them could handle the pregnancy, almost none anyway. Nine of the ten died within the first month, unable to last long enough for their child to become viable. But one survived. Alexandria. She was a fighter. She was incredible. I had grown fond of her during her time in Volterra. I begged Aro to let me turn her once the baby was born. But he refused. He couldn't have her interfering with his plan."
"What plan? One child isn't exactly an army." Emmett asks, pointing out the obvious.
"That's where his intentions took a horrifying turn." Demetri responds.
"Oh that's where, I thought it might have been the army of mindless hybrid spawn." Jake interrupts.
"When he learned Alexandria was carrying a girl, Aro saw a new opportunity." Demetri continues. "His own daughter would one day bore his hybrid army. Instead of an army of children, he'd have an army of grandchildren. As long as she was mated with a vampire, they would be even stronger. He'd be unstoppable. He promised me that when the time came, I would be that vampire, as if it was some sort of consolation prize for losing Alexandria. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of being betrothed to an unborn child, but I knew better than to defy Aro." I feel a shiver run down my spine, suddenly feeling cold all over. How could anyone do that to someone? Let alone their own child. I could have been that child. Was this my fault? I see my father's head perk up at that last thought, shooting me a look of sadness and comfort.
"How does he even know she can have children?" I ask. It was still a big question mark hanging over my head, whether or not I'll be able to have my own children someday. Sure, all the biological signs are pointing towards yes, but no one really knows for certain.
"He doesn't, but like I said, he's obsessed. He'll stop at nothing, even just for the possibility." Demetri says.
"I'm assuming you're not here because the child died." Jasper states.
"No, Alexa was born six years ago, a perfectly healthy hybrid child. But not without throwing one more wrench into Aro's obscene plan. She has a remarkable ability. It's like a magnetism. When you're near her, you'd do anything for her, go to war if she asked. Obviously we were both quite taken with her from the moment she was born. But as soon the midwives took her away from our presence, we could feel the magnetism fading. Aro was none too happy with the prospect of being unable to control his own feelings."
"That's rich coming from him." Emmett interrupts.
"She was a threat." Demetri continues, as if he hasn't heard my uncle speak. "If his obsession hadn't already taken hold, I have no doubt he would have disposed of her long ago. But she's valuable to him. Too valuable, and yet too dangerous. So he had her locked in a tower, with only humans to watch over her. He told the rest of the guard she hadn't survived. He asked Chelsea to take away his pain, dissolving any bond between father and daughter there may have been. He's never considered Alexa to be his child since. She's just a tool to him." Demetri explained, pain and disgust starting to show in his voice.
"But not to you." I reply, finally seeing the humanity in him. Their whole coven had appeared monstrous to me when I was a child. Perhaps they still do, but in this moment, I just see a man who is truly terrified about the fate of someone he loves. "What can we do to help?"
"Nessie, no. It's too dangerous." Jake jumps in immediately.
"What? It's not like I'm about to go storm the Volturi castle, or wherever the hell they live." I say.
"She's not too far off actually." Emmett chimes in.
"I'm just saying there's a girl who needs our help. Maybe because of me." I reply, faltering a bit at the end.
"Ness, this isn't your fault." My mom tells me.
"Is it not? If Aro had never seen me, none of this would have ever happened." I reason.
"And Alexa wouldn't exist." Demetri says, a kindness in his voice that hadn't been there before. "I truly hope you get the chance to meet her some day soon. I think you two could be friends. At least I hope you could. She needs a friend." Demetri smiles. His charm still makes him difficult to trust, but I can sense something genuine in his expression.
"Mom?" I asked. I knew she'd want to help. She always wants to help.
"What can we do?" Mom asks, echoing my question from earlier.
"I was hoping you'd be the one to ask." Demetri grins, a look of relief spreading to his eyes.
"You need her shield." Dad says. It's not a question.
"It might come in handy." Demetri agrees.
"Then I'm coming too." Dad replies.
"Thank you." Demetri says, it's the first thing out of his mouth that seems completely genuine, no charm, just real gratitude.
"Is there a plan or are the three of you just going to take on the Volturi by yourselves?" Rosalie asks incredulously.
"She's not well guarded. He doesn't trust vampires anywhere near her, for fear that they'll be ensnared. I haven't even seen her since she was born." Demetri replies.
"You care that much about someone you met once as a newborn?" Emmett asks, surprised.
"We communicate through notes and messages." Demetri explains, causing Emmett to snort a bit. I think it's kind of romantic, if anything about this situation could be considered in any way romantic.
"So why do you need us?" Dad asks.
"In case something goes wrong. I'm fortunate that Aro tries to stay out of my head. Her magnetism left a mark on my thoughts, he's terrified he'll get sucked in. On the rare occasion when he does read my mind, he doesn't dare venture past the surface thoughts. But my feelings of disgust for him and his plan may be too loud to bury deep enough at this point. I need to leave tonight, my mission was only supposed to take a day, the storm up north has bought me twenty four hours, but any more than that will give him cause for suspicion." Demetri explains.
"Mission?" Rosalie questions.
"There was a human. She knew too much. And her proximity to your Denali friends made her a threat that had to be dealt with immediately." His humanity starts to shrink back behind the monster again.
"So you kill a human and then come here and ask us to risk our lives for you?" Rosalie responds, her voice getting increasingly louder and more high pitched. Demetri looks down, as if feeling slightly guilty.
"Rosalie. This isn't about a human. This is about a child who needs our help." Grandpa speaks softly. "We'll do what we can."
"I don't want to attract attention. Anyone more than Edward and Bella and we'll risk exposing ourselves. But I will need some place to take her once she's out of Volterra."
"Consider our home her home. And yours." Grandma says.
"We're just going to invite them to stay with us now? What if the Volturi come after them?" Rosalie asks, clearly not on board with the plan.
"You're right. This is a big decision. We should make it as a family." Grandpa says.
"Rose, as much as I don't like him, or any of them, when's the last time a member of the guard turned on Aro?" Emmett jokes.
"And survived? Never. Forgive me if I don't want their fate to be ours too." Rosalie replies. She has a point. But so do I.
"Aunt Rose, when I was in danger, lots of people came to help us. That's why we're all still here, why I'm still here. Now it's our turn." I plead.
"Alice, you've been uncharacteristically quiet." Dad says.
"Because she already knows what's going to happen." Jasper smiles at Rosalie.
"Oh alright. But if we all die, I told you so." Rosalie finally gives in.
A huge grin spreads across Demetri's face. "Perfect. When can you be ready to leave?" He asks my parents. As worried as I am for their safety, I have to admit this is definitely the most exciting thing that has happened to us in the last seven years.