Have A Little Faith
Chapter Twelve: A Change in Plans
A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry, a million times sorry for the long wait. I had, like, ten thousand essays and lab report to do on top of the usual Algebra 2 and Geometry homework. I quite nearly died from it, I swear. Anyway, here it is.
Cullen House
Alice sat in Carlisle's offices, flipping through the latest issue of Elle France that had arrived earlier in the morning. She distracted herself with the trends of the Fall/Winter 2009 season, muttering her compliments on the designs she saw and imagining who would look best in each outfit. Despite her love of fashion, Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld didn't really have a chance when it came to getting her to forget the massacre that approached steadily and inevitably. She sighed as she thought this, her daydreams of clothes unaffordable to the average human but entirely within her budget, and closed her eyes.
A vision slipped in between the cracks of her fingers; a prophecy traveling by sunlight to reawaken her to the dangers that she and her family face. The dangers that had loomed at the edges for a few months, and then launched a surprise attack on all of them when they were paying attention to it the least.
In the vision she could see, quite clearly, Addison and Demetri, hand in hand, making their way to the destination they had been fated to arrive at.
Alice opened her eyes and smiled. Neither could do much in the face of the Volturi, but they would certainly help. Satisfaction coloured her thoughts now, her hopes confirmed with the several seconds it took for her to see what she needed to see. She considered rushing down to tell the others. She considered telling every last one that had doubted her "I told you so", causing giggles to break through the frost of fear that had held all of them paralyzed. Yet she didn't feel like it, not really. Just now, she sort of wanted to see what clothes Gucci would offer her in the Spring/ Summer 2010 season.
Because she was counting on being her when the line arrived in stores.
.oOo.
It was the afternoon when Demetri and Addison arrived at the Cullen House. With their fingers interlaced they slowed down to a walk as they approached the beautiful mansion, hidden in thicket of trees and nature. It held Addison hostage with its beauty. She gazed about this area, awestruck and oblivious, just as Demetri stepped in front of her. He did not slip into a protective crouch, though that was his instinct, he simply stood in front of Addison, guarding her against any potential threats that the people who rushed at them from the inside of that alluring house.
"Good afternoon, Demetri." Carlisle said, his tone calm and smooth, a perfect contrast to the vampires that stood, skeptical, at his side and behind him.
"Carlisle," Demetri greeted him, as Addison peered curiously around him, eyeing the strangers.
"This is a pleasant surprise."
"It was certainly an unexpected plan to visit," Demetri agreed, glancing at Addison behind him. "But, no doubt, you knew we were coming?"
"Yes," Carlisle said, smiling warmly, "We were informed."
"So you know of the nature of our visit?"
"We do."
"Then there is no need for explanations. Addison was most curious about your lifestlyle."
"Addison, yes," Carlisle said, making eye contact with the golden brown haired immortal clutching Demetri's arm, and staring about with an expression of guarded wonder.
Addison whipped her head around to look at Carlisle.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Addison."
"And you," she replied.
"We've been told that you are very curious about our lifestyle."
"I am," she replied, burying her excitement over this moment she'd been waiting for for so long. It was so strange for her now, with the answers right at her finger tips. The same answers and information she had desperately saught while fighting the depression that weighed down on her.
"I promise to tell you all that I know."
"In exchange for what?" Demetri asked, his hand holding Addison's forearm to prevent her from rushing forth into potentially hostile territory.
Carlisle's expression was instantly baffled. "I don't understand what you're asking, Demetri."
"For what price, then? We stand and die for you?"
"We would never ask that." Edward's voice said, as he and the others approached.
"Then what do you want? Secrets on the Volturi's innerworkings? You already have a psychic, and you are a mind reader. Any information we give will not be beneficial to you."
"We don't have a price on this knowledge. I believe very strongly in my lifestyle and I'm more than happy to explain it to any who ask."
It was Demetri's turn to look bemused. Addison merely looked grateful.
"Thank you," she breathed.
It's the best thing to say when words defy you.
.oOo.
Aro sat in his chair in the small house. There were not words that came to mind with which he could express his anger. So he just sat there, his fury boiling in the pit of his stomach, filling it though it had been empty for thousands of years. Caius was beside him, attempting to make conversation, to resolve the situation. But he did not, and could not, understand. There was no resolving this. There was no way anyone could make this better. This was a catastrophe, the whole ordeal. Coming to America to punish those who needed to be punished, picking a fight with the Cullens, asking Addison to join the Volturi... This was a terrible situation, and neither could make it better.
Perhaps this was the damnable Adriano's plan all along. Perhaps he had picked the fight in the first place just to slip the lovely and extraudinarily gifted Addison into their ranks so she could steal his tracker and wreck everything for him. Was this his downfall? He had scoffed at Adriano's words when they were spoken to him on that bitter battle on which so much had been lost, and the apparent gain had been a lie.
"Adriano, what is this?"
"This is your downfall, Aro."
The words sounded in his head, echoing around in his skull. He wondered if he still had brains. He didn't feel like he had brains. It all felt empty up there. Was he thinking at all? Was he really alive right now, or was this all a nightmare in hell.
"Adriano, what is this?"
"This is your downfall, Aro."
Perhaps he was dead. This could pass for hell. Yes. This was hell and he was in it. Was he on fire again? He wasn't so certain about that. He didn't feel like he was on fire and he knew exactly what it felt like. He shuddered internally at the memory of the pain.
"Adriano, what is this?"
"This is your downfall, Aro."
Maybe hell fire was a myth. Maybe there was no fire at all, just recurring, never ending nightmares. That was bad enough as it was. He didn't really need hell fire because he was already dying from the pain in his heart. It was the pain of loss and there was no cure known to humans nor vampires nor anyone else.
"Adriano, what is this?"
"This is your downfall, Aro."
His downfall, indeed.
"This is for all the innocents you've struck down."
All the innocents, all the innocents. There were no innocents, he didn't kill innocents.
"This is for all the innocents you've struck down."
That was wrong. Adriano was crazy. He never killed any innocents, he was wrong, he was confused, he was foolish, he was dead.
But if he was dead, how was he here, in his head, now?
"This is for all the innocents you've struck down."
The words were so loud, he thought his head would explode. Aro resisted the urge to cover his ears.
"This is for all the innocents you've struck down."
"This is your downfall, Aro."
But it hadn't been.
Because this was.