Chap 22 - Confession
A/N: SM owns Twilight.
Finally these characters are talking to me again…. So here's the next chapter; I do hope you like it.
For the first time in what seemed like an age, Esme was home alone.
She'd been on a conference call with her publisher most of the morning. They were completely understanding of her unwillingness to come to New York given recent events. She'd been uncertain about committing to tour dates for her latest book but she knew she had obligations to fulfill. The PR team were concerned about losing momentum but also understood that Esme didn't want to be seen to be cashing in on her adopted daughter's trauma to gain cheap publicity for her book.
In the end they compromised, pushing the tour dates back as far as practicable and then splitting the tour up into blocks of dates so that she could come home in between for a week before setting off again. Esme felt quite satisfied with the arrangements and after the meeting she locked the dates agreed with her publishers into her diary, sharing them with the family so they'd know her plans.
Mrs Biers had been over for her cleaning morning, so once all Esme's office work was done there was really nothing for her to do. She had planned to go to the hospital and have lunch with Carlisle but he'd sent her a text cancelling their lunch date due to an emergency surgery.
She decided to take advantage of the rare quiet, so she made herself a coffee and grabbed the latest book she'd picked up at the bookstore in Port Angeles when she'd been out with Edward and Isabella the day before.
She was just about to settle in for a nice reading session in her favourite lounge chair when the front door bell rang.
The first few weeks after the James incident they'd had to hire security to keep the press away from the house but the media attention had dwindled as they gradually lost interest in the story.
The PR agent they hired had put together some statements for the press and drafted responses to their questions for the family, and their lawyer, to approve. Thankfully the notoriety didn't last long and after a short media interest started to wane and after a month had passed there was no longer need for the security or the PR agent.
At last, life was taking on a normal rhythm again.
Despite the lack of media interest in the past couple of weeks, Esme still approached the front door with caution. She looked through the peephole and although the first gentleman she saw was a stranger to her, she was relieved to see that her friend, and Chief of Police, Demetri was with him.
She opened the door and Demetri a warm welcome: "Hello Demetri, how lovely to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?"
Demetri stepped forward and gave Esme a warm, friendly hug before stepping back to extend his arm to introduce the man with him: "Esme, this gentleman has come here all the way from New York to meet with our young Isabella. May we come in?"
Esme was concerned that Demetri seemed to be being deliberately vague about this stranger and the purpose of his visit but she trusted Demetri not to bring any media to the house, so let them both in. The man removed his hat, gave her a small smile and followed Demetri into the house.
As they entered the lounge room, Esme offered her visitors a seat and offered them coffee but both declined. There was a moment of awkward silence before the stranger spoke in perfect English but with a rich Italian accent: "Mrs Cullen, I apologise for intruding on your day. You have a very beautiful home and I am grateful you have allowed me entrance. My name is Aro Volturi. I do not wish to alarm you or concern your family in any way but I believe you are caring for my granddaughter ... Miss Isabella Marie Swan."
Esme gasped: "Mr Volturi, I am pleased to meet you but what makes you think that my Isabella is your granddaughter."
Aro was about to speak when a loud crash came from the kitchen and voices drifted into the lounge room, interrupting their conversation.
"C'mon Bee, no one will see us. Mom's having lunch with Dad and Emmett's over at Alice's with Rose and Jasper." Edward's voice was followed by the sound of Bee squealing and the sound of a metal bowl crashing to kitchen floor.
"No, Fancy Pants. Get back! We are NOT having sex on your mother's kitchen counter."
Edward tried to be sexy and seduce her: "I think I could persuade you with a little teasing."
Esme's eyes went wide and she jumped up from her seat to rush into the kitchen: "Excuse me gentleman, I'll be just one moment." She then flew from the room at an unnatural pace.
Aro looked confused and Demetri was holding in chuckles. They then heard Esme speaking in a hushed but urgent voice: "Edward and Isabella what on earth do you think you are doing in my kitchen."
"Mom!" both Edward and Bee called out at once.
At hearing the name 'Isabella', Aro stood immediately and walked toward the voices. Demetri followed from a distance, chuckling even more at hearing the kids being scolded for fooling around in Esme's precious kitchen.
When Aro entered the kitchen he saw a tall, handsome young man with floppy reddish hair and quite startling green eyes. Aro was amused by the scene before him with the striking young man apologising to his mother while wrapped around a young woman who was desperately trying to hide her blushing face in his chest.
Aro strained to try to get a proper look at the young woman, realising she was who he had come so far to meet. However, his view was blocked by both Esme's back and the boy's protective hold on the girl.
Esme was mid lecture: "What do you two think you are doing? This isn't a frat house! You aren't living on campus yet. You each have perfectly suitable rooms for this sort of... private ... behaviour. Do you know I have company in the lounge room right now? Good heavens, how embarrassing."
Edward was mortified and tried to explain to his mother that it was all his fault but she was in full flight and barely stopped to take breath, although he noticed that she was attempting to whisper her fury which he found extremely odd. He then noticed a man standing behind Esme.
Seeing Edward's distraction Esme realised someone was behind her and spun around almost crashing into poor Aro. She squealed with surprise but Aro wasn't paying her any attention as his whole focus was on the tiny brunette in Edward's arms.
He stepped forward taking Bee's hand in his and pulling her gently away from Edward's hold. When he saw her face he whispered: "Dio mio, Isabella? Voi siete l'immagine speculare della mia cara madre."
Bee was stunned and could only stare at the stranger. Edward pulled her hand away from Aro and protectively pushed her behind his body. Turning to his mother but not taking his eyes off Aro, he asked: "Who the hell is this?"
There was a heavy silence for just a few moments before Esme regrouped: "Mr Volturi, I apologise for the children's behaviour. Please let's move back to the lounge room." She was trying to move Aro away from Isabella; she was concerned that Isabella would be upset and shocked to meet this man who claimed to be her grandfather.
Bee gasped when she heard the name Volturi and cautiously poked her head around Edward's torso to get a better look at the man. She gave him a shy smile which he returned. She stepped around Edward, but kept hold of his hand, and stepped forward curiously.
"Aro?" she whispered.
Aro nodded to Isabella who reached out to him, pulling Edward along with her as she still had a tight grip on his hand. Edward looked to his mother for answers but she was useless as she had her hand over her mouth and tears flowing down her cheeks as she took in the emotional scene of Bee hugging her grandfather for the first time. At least it was someone who claimed to be her grandfather anyway.
After a few minutes, Demetri cleared his throat: "Okay folks, why don't we all go sit in the lounge room and we can do the official introductions there."
Bee and Aro pulled apart, each of them wiping their tears from their faces. They smiled at each again as Edward led them to the lounge room.
Aro took the seat he'd been offered earlier while Edward steered his Busy Bee to the other side of the room. He wasn't sure who this man was and wasn't too happy with him sitting too close to his girl. They'd had enough drama and stress to last a lifetime as far as he was concerned and he was taking no chances with Bee's safety.
They sat in silence waiting for Esme who returned promptly carrying a tray with a pot of coffee, mugs, plates, sugar and a Red Velvet layer cake with white chocolate cream cheese icing. It was a bit over the top but it was Bee's favourite and they were still trying to tempt her into eating more to gain some weight as she was still far too thin.
Demetri licked his lips when he saw the cake, he loved Esme's cooking and the cake looked delicious. Esme sliced some cake and gave some to Demetri first since he seemed to be the only who'd even registered she'd re-entered the room. As she passed him the cake she asked him to bring them all up to speed on his and Mr Volturi's visit.
"Demetri, I've called Carlisle to let him know of this visit," Esme said. "He's caught up at the Hospital and won't be able to get away for some time, so perhaps you could share with us what is going on and I can explain it all to Carlisle and Emmett when they get home."
Demetri had just shoved a large spoonful of the cake in his mouth and so gave Esme an apologetic look since he really couldn't talk until he'd chewed and swallowed.
Aro decided he should speak since it was he who had demanded the local police chief bring him to his granddaughter that afternoon: "Perhaps I can explain, Mrs Cullen."
He looked directly at Isabella as he spoke and she gave him her full and undivided attention: "My name is Aro Marcus Volturi and I believe ... no, I know… that you beautiful Isabella are my granddaughter.
"When I was a young man I lived in New York City with my father Marcus, my mother Isabella and my brother, Caius. When my younger brother started at College, my father bought my mother a restaurant, 'Isabella's Ristorante'. After her death just a few years later, I would often go to the restaurant as it made me feel closer to her; I missed her greatly.
While visiting, I met a beautiful young Irish woman named Siobhan Swan. She was working as a waitress in the restaurant. I was very attracted to her, not only for her beauty but also her intelligence and sweet nature.
She tried her best to resist my flirtations and rejected me over and over, but eventually I wore her down and we started dating in secret; my father frowned on me dating anyone who wasn't Italian.
"I loved Siobhan very much and we were very happy together. When my dear brother Caius became ill, my father panicked, having only recently lost my mother he was terrified of losing more of his family. He decided to move us all back to Italy where the weather and lifestyle would be better for my ailing brother.
It was at that time that my beautiful Siobhan disappeared. My father told me that Siobhan had quit saying she had met someone and was getting married. Between my concern for my brother, my sadness for the loss of my mother and my trust in my father I believed that this one good thing in my life was gone. I moved to Italy with my brother until he was improved and then I came back to America. Since that time I have split my time between the two countries.
"I never married. My heart had been given to Siobhan all those years ago and I could never find that same happiness with another.
"Last year, my father became very ill and one day after he had spent many hours talking with his priest, he called me to ask me to visit with him. It was then that he confessed to me the truth.
"He told me that my Siobhan had been pregnant with my child and that he had lied to her in the most cruel way. He'd shown her pictures of me with my cousin, including one of us embracing at her engagement party.
"He'd told my love that the picture was me with my fiancee and that Siobhan was just a 'bit on the side' whom I amused myself with prior to committing to my marriage. He also told me that he'd deposited money in a bank in Forks and bought a house there to essentially banish her and my unborn child to the most remote location he could find within the United States.
"I made some general enquiries at that time and found that Siobhan had never lived here. I also found out that she had died as had my son but I could not find out what had happened to my son's child. That is until recently, when I was watching television while I was in the first class lounge at JFK airport; I was just killing time as I waited for my annual flight back to Italy.
"There was a short item on the news about a brilliant young student who'd been accepted to practically every Ivy League College in the country but who'd been caught up in a violent kidnapping attempt in Port Angeles. The young student's name was Isabella Marie Swan. There was no image of the girl but I knew she was mine... my family.
"I cancelled my flight, hired a private investigator and as soon as I confirmed all I needed to know, I made my way here to Forks. I went to see your Chief of Police with the information I had as well as my proof of identity.
"I am your grandfather, sweet child. We are family; you are mine and I am yours."
Isabella had been frozen, still as a statue, mesmerised by Aro's story. Everything he told her was consistent with what her grandmother had written in her letter. When she thought about the letter, she remembered that her grandmother had left a letter for Aro and asked Bee to give it to him if he should ever find her.
She stood and gave Edward a small comforting smile before speaking quietly to the room: "Please excuse me, I will be back in just a moment."
Aro was confused but Edward had a good idea about what she was going to do. Bee went to her room and pulled out her safety box. She decided to bring the whole box downstairs as there may be other items which she could share with Aro... her grandfather.
She returned to the lounge room and took her seat next to Edward once again. She unlocked the box with the key she kept on a chain around her neck, removing the letter she gave her box of memories to Edward. She stood and crossed the expanse of the lounge room which separated her from her grandfather. She handed him the letter: "Nanna Swan left me a request to give you this letter if I should ever meet you and to tell you … 'Death leaves a wound nothing can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal.'"
A tear rolled down Aro's cheek and he gripped the envelope tightly to his chest as he spoke: "She has that message engraved on her gravestone. I visited it after my father's confession led me to search for her once again."
Esme was at a loss. Aro's story sounded legitimate and Demetri seemed to believe him but how could she be certain. Poor Isabella had been through so much, if this man was truly her family that would be something to celebrate but if he wasn't who he said he was then she wanted to spare her adopted daughter from any further heartache.
Aro put the unopened envelope in his inside jacket pocket, explaining to Bee that he would read it later in the privacy of his room at the Inn: "I am sure you have many questions for me as I have of you, my dear child, but I think I have surprised you enough for one visit. I think perhaps I should leave you for now."
Bee's face paled and she started to panic. She wanted to talk with her new found grandfather, she didn't want him to leave. Seeing the look on her face, Esme stood and rubbed her daughter's back gently before extending an invitation to Aro for dinner: "Perhaps Mr Volturi, you would like to join us for dinner this evening. My husband and other son will be home then and you spend some more time with our Isabella then?"
Aro didn't miss that she had referred to his Isabella as their Isabella but he understood that the family may be wary of his sudden entrance into their lives.
"I would be delighted Mrs Cullen. Thank you for your kind invitation." He turned back to Isabella: "I look forward to seeing you this evening, child. I would love to send your image to my brother Caius. Would you mind if I asked for a photo with me?"
She smiled shyly and nodded. Edward took Aro's offered phone and took a photo of his girl with her grandfather. He was in as much shock as his mother but he could see that Bee was in need of his support, so he would give it freely and hope for the best.
Aro looked at the image and laughed the strangest laugh making Bee giggle with shock. "Oh my sweet child, pardon my exuberance, it is just that you look so much like my mother, your namesake, it is truly uncanny."
A/N: So Aro has arrived ... what do you think?
Rough translations of my very rough Italian...
dio mio (my god)
Voi siete l'immagine speculare della mia cara madre (you are the mirror image of my dear mother)
Ciao for now!