Paul

We had heard another shriek from the infirmary from Marissa. Leah cried even more and I held her in my lap while she held on tighter to me.

"Paul…I've never been so scared"

"It's going to be okay…Marissa a tough one" I said trying to reassure her but I failed miserably. Marissa was 5 years old…her body probably couldn't take that venom. Her body is still developing.

Mia walked up the stairs with Sam at her side holding a little ball looking figure in his arms, Matthew. I forgot how small Matthew really was. Mia was crying and she ran towards Leah.

"Mom…" She said but Leah continued to cry in my arms. "Mommy please I'm scared…please" She cried even harder.

Leah then turned away from me and picked Mia up with all her strength. They cried together and Leah paced around the floor with Mia in her arms. "God please you have to do something. I cannot take heartbreaks right now" She sobbed "You know I can't"

Sam gave a sympathetic look. He wanted to help but he just didn't know how. I took baby Matthew carefully out of his hands. He smelled like baby oil and I smiled at the little guy as a tear escaped my eye.

"What would you do" I said desperately.

Matthew did nothing, but sneezed and giggled with bubbles forming around his lips. How can you get through to a baby when they don't fear anything or don't care at all about how they feel? Maybe this was a sing to just calm down and relax, but that was my daughter in there.

Carlisle was in their performing on her while her family sat here panting, praying, and hoping. That was the only thing we could do.

Hours flung by and it seemed like years until Carlisle finally came out. I got up and held baby Matthew close to me and shiny fluttery baby soft hair swiping against my skin. He started to slob but I didn't care.

"Carlisle please tell me she's-" Leah started but Carlisle cut her off.

"She'll be just fine"

The room stood still and reality sunk in. I breathed out a sigh of relieve and Leah looked up and smiled "Thank you so much"

"But she's very weak. In order for it not to get into her bloodstream or veins I had to suck the venom out and wash out her spotted areas. Marissa lost a lot of blood but not as much as we thought she would"

"Well what does that mean?"

"It means one of you will have to donate some blood"

"Well I'll do it" Leah put Mia down on the floor. Carlisle nodded her down the steps and she followed.

"Carlisle can I see her"

"Of course she's asking about you"

I slipped my hand into Mia's to assure her everything was going to be fine. I smiled at her but she didn't smile back. I could understand she really didn't know what was going on and she wanted to. Matthew held on to my shirt tightly with his little fingers as in a way of saying 'Let's go already'. He slobbed over my shoulder again but I didn't care, as long as my children were safe and alright.

I walked in slowly and there she was breathing rapidly on the bed. She looked so weak and fragile. Alice was checking her records and was about to leave until I motioned for her to take Matthew. She did sympathetically and walked out.

Mia ran over to her sister's hospital bed and climbed up the rails onto the bed. I walked over to her and just looked at her. She had a bruise on her face and a big white patch on her shoulder. A tear escaped my eye. I thought I had failed at protecting her. I've never seen her like this before and it was so hard to. I made a promise to myself that this was her first and last time getting hurt. This would never happen again.

Mia rubbed her arms and Marissa fluttered her eyes open. When she saw me she cried. "Daddy…daddy" She tried to move towards me but she winced in pain. I cried even more and bounced on the bed in between Mia and Marissa.

Marissa held her arms out weakly towards me and I gently placed her on me, spread her legs out, and leaned back on the pillow so she could lie on my chest. Mia held my hand and I squeezed it.

"Daddy…are you mad at me"

"No, no, no Marissa daddy can never be mad at you. I'm upset at who did this to you. You have no idea how hurt your mom and I am, Marissa. I promise I will always protect you and never let you out of my sight, you too Mia. You guys are-" My voice cracked a little as I held back the tears "You guys are my life. You, your mom and your brother all of you are my life and I won't let anything happen to you"

"Daddy, don't blame yourself" Mia said on the side looking up to me. She stood on her knees to wipe my tear away. I smiled. "I love you Mia"

"I love you too daddy"

"Daddy" Marissa said.

"Yes baby"

"I'm scared" She answered and began to cry.

I held her closer to me and she turned her body around and winced. I helped her and brought her up to me and held her close by the waist.

"Look at me. There is nothing to be scared about…nothing you hear me"

She cried even more "She was so scary daddy. I was trying to protect Matthew because she was going to kill him. I got in the way and she slapped me on the ground and my shoulder" I brought her head to my chest and I kissed her head "its okay daddy's here, daddy's got you"

Leah came in slowly with Carlisle and a bag of blood in his hands. "Alright hate to break this up but Marissa we have to inject you with some of your mom's blood okay?"

Marissa gave me the look as if she couldn't move. I twisted her back around and placed her back in her position on the bed. Leah came over to Marissa and kissed her multiple times "Are you okay? Marissa. Mommy was so worried. What's hurting you?"

"Mommy you're hurting me" She winded. Leah instantly backed up.

"Sorry…How are you"

I chuckled this was typical Leah. The thing that always made me love her more was that she was so caring, especially to her family.

Leah

Paul lightly placed Maria on the floor and she ran out the door with her dad right behind her. After Carlisle inserted Marissa with blood she felt a little dizzy.

"You want some water"

She shook her tiny little head "Alice gave me water earlier it's right behind you" She pointed. I grabbed the cup and handed it to her. She tried to get up but failed miserably. I helped her and she gulped down the water.

"Wow…I didn't know I was that thirsty. Well honey for what you went through today I'm shocked you're not hungry or just plain scared"

"Daddy said there's no reason to be scared" She told me as a matter of fact.

I rubbed her hair back "Daddy's right. There's no need to be scared"

She handed me her cup and I placed it back. "Mommy…who was that women" She asked.

I sighed. This was a hard question. I didn't even want to think about my past or people in it. I was going to tell the children one day but today wasn't going to be that day.

"She was a person that disliked your father and I"

"Why"

I looked up searching for the right answers "They did something really bad that your father and I disagreed with."

"Is she coming back?"

I snorted "No honey. She's long gone"

"She's dead" She said simply.

I shot my eyes at her "She's what"

"She's dead right?"

It took me seconds to answer until I finally nodded "Yes…yes she is. Which means you don't have to worry about her, understand?"

She nodded and I smiled "You're going to be so beautiful when you grow up"

"Mommy"

"Yes honey" I said leaning on her bed with my elbow propped up holding my head. She mocked my move and reached over for my hand. Her hands were so little compared to mine and I kissed it.

"I think you're pretty"

I snorted "No I think your pretty"

She shook her head "Not as pretty as you"

"You're so wrong on that one. I might be pretty but I think your gorgeous" I ticked her and she laughed until she winced.

"Oh I'm sorry honey, I forgot" I rubbed her hair back.

She shrugged and brought my hand closer to her face. Marissa traced patterns over it while I just watched.

"You have marks" She commented. What was she talking about?

"I have what?"

"You have marks…they look like numbers"

I gently took back my hand and closely looked at it. I didn't see anything. Eyeing Marissa suspiciously I brought my hand back to her "What do the writings say?"

She looked at them carefully "I don't know…wait, it say's...vou-volt-vo-tri ow-n-ed?" She said trying to sound the words out.

Seconds passed and it hit me "Volturi owned"

"Mom who's Volturi owned?"

Oh My Gosh they branded me. "Mommy are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine I'll be right back okay honey"

She nodded and sunk back in her pillow "Can you end Aunt Alice up here?"

I nodded and headed out the door. Right on time Alice came up the steps "I got it"

I ran towards Paul and saw him playing with Mia and Matthew in the play bin. Why was Mia in the play bin?

I shook it off and whispered for Paul. "Paul, honey I'm sorry to disturb you but can I talked to you for a minute"

"It's no problem at all. I'll be right back guys" She rubbed Matthew hair back. Matthew was held on to the railing trying to stand with a pacifier in his mouth. He was only 8 months.

We walked outside and I held up my hand to his face "THEY BRANDED ME"

"WHAT" He exclaimed.

"I don't know what happened. They must've did this when I was living in the castle"

She held my hand "wait…I don't see anything"

"Well Marissa does"

"What?" he asked now clearly confused.

"Okay so I was talking to Marissa. She grabbed my hand started tracing patterns over it as if she was reading something, Seconds later she said I had marks that looked like numbers and it read 'Volturi Owned'. Now you tell me she didn't make up that name"

"Well it's obvious she didn't"

I sighed "I don't even know how to get this off" I panicked until Paul held me by the waist and brought me close.

"Honey, don't worry. Everything's fine. You can't even see it"

"Yes but my daughter can"

"We're planning on telling them anyway so what's the big deal"

"The big deal is I don't want her at this age to be asking me any questions about what this relates too"

"It's going to be okay" He held my hands together "I love you. It's going to be okay, take a deep breath"

I took in a deep breath and let it out calmly "Now are you alright"

I shrugged "Your right. It's better"

"Good"

We went back in to finish playing with the kids. I held Marissa in my arms the whole night.

She smiled "Happy"

"Happy?" Paul asked.

"My whole families in here with me…and I'm happy"

I kissed her on the forehead "Your still here with us. We're the ones that should be extremely happy"

"I'm strong. Besides Emily always says 'Like mother like daughter'"

That night she said that memories clouded my mind. It took me all the way back to when Paul found me. Emily was the person I always talked too.

And she'd always say:

Just suck it up, because I know you're going to make it…

You are stronger than this and let NO ONE take it away from you

Like mother like daughter. I smiled and held my family together in our warm comfortable bed. Yeah, Emily was definitely right.