Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, I just play in the sandbox. I do lay claim to my original characters and the inclusion of the fey world.

AN: There will be no updates now for a couple of week's as I'm going in for surgery on Sunday ~Hannah

Chapter Sixty-Five – Planning for a Crisis

I had forgotten how draining shopping could be when I was with Alice. Add in Rose and Jane and it was like I had entered a version of hell I wasn't sure I could escape. At first, Bella and Lauren seemed in high spirits, teasing me for not being as enthusiastic but soon they too realised the perils of shopping with Vampires…they never stopped. Even when us three humans took much needed rests and breaks for food we were glared at and hurried to finish so we could get back to shopping. I was owed something for this. I didn't know what and I didn't know when I would claim it but Alice, Jane and Rose each owed me something for this.

I finally, finally, FINALLY had some alone time with Edward when we returned but I was too exhausted to do anything. I distinctly remember falling asleep face down on the bed, she in my day clothes but when I woke up next, I was under the duvet with my socks and jumper removed and snuggled up next to Edward. I tried to wake myself up but he just hushed me and lulled me back to sleep by humming lullabies to me.

When I next woke, I felt fully refreshed but felt outraged and slightly guilty when Edward told me I'd been asleep for sixteen hours! I didn't even know you could sleep that long. Despite my long sleep, I was determined to have some time with Edward. I felt better now than I had in months. The guilt I felt at spending time with him but falling asleep was washed away with the kiss he bestowed upon me.

Relationships were important to me, whether they be familiar ones or new ones. I knew I'd been neglecting my time not just with Edward but with others around me. I was now in a place where I could accept that the relationships around me were good ones and that it was alright for me to explore them.

Talking in circles seems to have become my forte and as annoying as it was for me and anyone else who could see into my head, I couldn't escape the pattern that my mind had come up with to combat all that had happened.

I was now arguing with myself – fantastic!

I was moved, during my internal thoughts, into a more comfortable position…or rather, Edward moved me to sit on his lap. Looking up I could trace every line of his face, see every expression of his thoughts pass across his eyes and sense his moods with just a glance at his lips. Was it crazy to know a person so completely? Intimidating certainly, for those of less measure but I felt privileged to know the whole package of the person sitting before me.

"My life was so different before I moved here."

I could see Edward's face tense in a frown, the words forming on his tongue before he had time to process them. Placing my hand over his mouth stopped him from talking but didn't remove the worry from his eyes.

"I just mean my life had no purpose and no sense of direction. I didn't know what I wanted or where I was going. I was living in turmoil over every part of my life and was never certain of my own abilities. Fork's, I know, isn't for everyone but arriving here permanently gave me a sense of freedom I hadn't felt since arriving in this world. From the moment I touched the grass here I could sense a purpose in my life and a new opportunity calling."

I could remove my hand from Edward's mouth now that his worry lines had disappeared. I knew he wouldn't interrupt me now he knew I wasn't pushing him away.

"I'm not saying fate was pulling me in such a direction, nor am I saying that I wouldn't have survived had I not met you but as soon as I arrived in Forks it was like a new chapter of my life began and it was a chapter that would do me no wrong. Please, don't Edward, I know things have happened that have been less than ideal and have caused a lot of pain to not just myself but others also. That's not what I meant by saying that it's done me no wrong. I just mean that I feel like I've been given a second chance to experience life to the max, to find family I never knew I had, to find a home and safety and to find my soulmate. Not everyone has a chance to find their ever after and more than not people have a harder time at it than me. I'm grateful and constantly amazed that this is my life. I get you as my other half. Even when we're arguing, you love me for myself and that is the greatest love someone could give me."

"We'll get through this Ella."

"How do you know?"

"I love you too much to let you go again and I've learnt from the mistakes of the past. This time, when the fight happens we'll all be prepared, no one will be hurt and we can ride off into the sunset when it's all over."

"How can you promise that? We don't know what will happen in the future."

"Then let's live in the now. You are the one thing I would do anything for, let me."

"As long as you don't die in the process."

"Never. That would separate me from you and you're the one thing that keeps my dead heart alive."

"I love you Edward."

[x]

Many hours later, though it felt like days to me, I came across the females that were important to me in an anti-chamber to a room that was causing much distress to us all. I say distress because we could all clearly hear the shouting that was coming from the next room and the men inside that were fighting over what was to be done. I might have been a little intimidated by the Volturi but I wasn't about to let them get away with planning anything without my involvement. I'd always wanted to push open the doors like a female superhero and doing just that gave me a great sense of accomplishment. That the arguing had stopped and those gathered had turned to stare at me in disbelief bust added to my smugness.

"I told you we should have invited her," said Edward.

The glare that I had been about to send his way was then redirected to the rest of the occupants.

"Talking strategies without me? No, let me rephrase that, without us? You wouldn't be trying to keep the females out of this discussion, would you?"

That no one had a response to my words reminded me of every person whose ever been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

I floated into the room with elegance I knew was soon to evaporate and took a seat in the chair Edward saving for me. That this chair happened to be in the centre of the round table they were arguing over, was no coincident. I didn't have to be a seer to know that a meeting of this kind in involving the Volturi hadn't happened for centuries. The emotion in the room was tingling and I thought about my earlier conversation with Edward about being grateful. Getting to witness historical events was a bonus to that gratitude.

"I am aware that the darkness that is appearing effects all walks of life. This isn't just someone who wants to rule the Fey world, this is an individual who wishes to stake claim over every supernatural creature that currently walks the earth. They are someone who uses others to get the work done, the fact that they appear not to want to get their hands dirty might work in our favour. We do however, have several advantages, for one, you have at your table one who has been personally involved in the dealings of those henchmen working for the mysterious one. You also have someone who might have been gifted to combat the darkness that is coming and you also have someone who gets incredibly pissed off when they are excluded from problems that could affect them. I speak for everyone here when I say you do not want me to slip into my own personal darkness. It would not end well for anyone."

Using my recent trip into depression and the breakdown I'd had as my own 'personal darkness' and making a joke out of it wasn't something I ever thought I'd do but I wanted to express the seriousness of the situation. Cutting myself and the others from this discussion would only hurt us as a group and I wanted us to be as close knit as possible and work together to defeat whatever was coming.

"I propose we open this meeting up and discuss the first problem on the agenda. 'Problem One – We don't know who the Master is', discuss."

Lord Almighty wherever this sass had come from I wanted to bottle it up and sell it commercially. Long may my sass last.

"It's definitely not the Romanian's, this isn't their style," said Aro.

"I assumed it was a fellow Fey but now I'm uncertain," said Adrian.

"Does the Master have to be supernatural at all? They could just be a human with powerful friends," said Bella.

"We could be dealing with something unknown, a new species perhaps," said Emmett.

"Are we dealing with someone old or young?"

"Why do they want to control everything? What happened to make them this way?" asked Rose.

"I think it's personal," said Edward.

"I think it's connected," said Caius.

"I agree with Caius and Edward. If it wasn't personal, I wouldn't have been targeted and we would be outsiders looking in. It is most definitely all connected, from the uncertainty of the Masters species, to his age and his reasons behind wanting this. There is a link somewhere in all this mess that we are missing and I bet when we find it we'll kick ourselves for not seeing it sooner."

I could see people nodding at my response and no further questions came. It seems we had put to rest the first problem on the agenda.

[The agenda of course being questions I'd formed in my head, I was running this shit after all.] Seriously, this sass was addictive.

"Alright, 'Problem number Two: how many supernatural species are caught up with this and is there a non-threatening way to find out?' discuss."

"There is no way of knowing that and keeping under the radar. As soon as we put feelers out we'd give up the fact that we knew something," said Jasper.

"Exactly, then everyone would get panicked about what was about to happen," I added.

"Plus, it would alert whoever this 'Master' is that we were onto him," said Aro.

"At least we have some idea, I mean we know who's involved," added Bella.

"Vampires, Fey & humans apparently."

"Don't forget the ethereal's but they come later," I said.

"Yet we can assume that the 'Master's' scope covers not just those three but also; witches, werewolves, daemons and shifters."

"Daemons and shifters, really? Huh, didn't know they were real," I said.

"Quite real and quite dangerous," said Marcus.

"Ok, two problems' down, three left to address. 'Problem number three: Is world domination the end game or is it something more sinister?'"

"I think we can assume that it's both. I mean everything we've thought so far has come up short. The 'Master' is always two steps ahead of us. Going with that line of thinking, perhaps world domination was their original goal but as time has passed I wouldn't be surprised if it had formed into something more sinister. As Ella said, we are dealing with a unique individual who has morphed into this 'Master' from experiences he has suffered. I think whoever the 'Master' is, they're on a vendetta only they can answer too. I don't think we'll find out just what has been going on until the last card has been placed," said Jasper.

"So, you're suggesting for all our thinking, we'll still be walking in blind?" asked Adrian.

"I think, the 'Master' is a crafty little bugger who has not one but several goals and routes to take. I think it would be foolish not to plan several different strategic plans to counter whatever they have planned."

"I propose we move to problem number four. 'Who are these ethereal beings that have whispered in Ella's ear? Are they going to cause harm? Do they give gifts to just anyone? Why gift Ella? What is their role in all this?"

I glared at Edward for taking problem number four away from me but the look he gave back was one that would budge and one of worry and slight fear. He was concerned about who these ethereal's were and what it meant for me. He was just trying to protect me but still, I was going to give him some sass when this was over.

"Ethereal's? Who are they? My brothers and I have never heard of them," said Aro.

It didn't take a genius to see that he was annoyed he didn't know something. You don't become the head of the Vampires without extensive knowledge after all.

"I don't know exactly what they are but my best guest marks them similar to the Gods of old. They certainly talk that way. All I know is that they live on another plain and are involved in what is happening down on earth. They said the gifts they'd given me would appear over time. It's like I'm a catalyst for what is going to happen and they've tried to even the playing field. Despite Edward's fear, I don't think they should be feared. They aren't here to hurt me or cause us pain, they're trying to help in the only way they know how and from what I gather, they aren't allowed to interfere too much."

"It is still a unknown problem for us to deal with. I'm not sure I like the idea of a higher force at work here. You say they mean us no harm but most us here are vampires, they might mean us a great deal of harm," said Aro.

"I understand your concern but you're of the mindset that these ethereal's should not be trusted. You've already made up your mind about them without knowing them at all. That, I think, is a very poor judgement to make. You shouldn't assume the worst in someone, your mind will surely become very small and paranoid because of it. At best, the ethereal's are connected to me only, are you now saying that you don't trust me?"

"Of course not."

"Then perhaps we should leave this discussion for another time. Perhaps a time when I have more information to offer and you have more time to discuss all possibilities without immediately writing things off."

"Agreed," said Aro.

"Well then, let's move onto the last problem I've thought of. 'Problem number five; how to come out of this situation alive, while still projecting the Volturi as in command and a force to be reckoned with? Discuss."

The three Volturi brothers stood stock still and stared at me. As the seconds dragged by, I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. Had I accidentally committed a crime I didn't know about?

"What?"

"We are continually reminded that there are wonders in the world that we cannot foresee," said Marcus.

"That you are human and have taken the time out to think of how this might affect us is astounding," said Aro.

"Remarkable, for a human," added Caius.

"You all sound so shocked. Why would I open my heart up to your friendship and not help you in a time of need? I need all players on the board for our plans to work and I fully understand who you are. You don't get to be the leaders of the Vampire world by hugging anyone you encounter. I want to reach the best possible outcome we can and I want it to be one that benefits everyone."

I could see that my words had shocked my audience. Personally, I found it comical that offering help was a scenario that had never crossed their minds. Were they under the impression that we'd come to ask for help but with nothing in return? I could only hope to change that opinion while I was here. I knew that befriending the Volturi brothers wasn't an act that was often thought about but I couldn't help but find redeeming qualities in them and things that I wanted to explore.

To me, family was important and it seemed clear to me that I was undergoing a mission to make mine as big as possible. How many other humans can say they marched into Volterra and gained access to a Volturi King's bank account?

I was definitely too sassy for words!