Right, here's the next chapter then. Sorry these are so wordy and talky...action is coming soon, I promise. Blah-blah-disclaimer-blah. Honestly-is there ANYONE who thinks I'm SM? Seriously? anyone at all? And not making any $$$ with this either...wow, if you could make money from Fanfiction, it would be weird. O_o

"Tanya, are you positive you don't want to go shopping in Anchorage with us?"

Tanya laughed. "For the last time, Kate, no! I've got lots to do round here. You two go off and enjoy yourselves."

Kate stood there, torn between leaving her sister home alone and spending time alone with Garret. There had been something different about Tanya the last few months, ever since she'd come back from her trip south to visit the Cullens. Kate wasn't the only one who thought so; the others had noticed it as well. She was still sad, but a bit of life had returned to her. Tanya hadn't said what had happened, and Kate assumed it was the usual trysts with as many human men that she'd been able to find.

Poor Tanya. Irina's death had been hard on both of them, but it seemed to have struck Tanya particularly hard. Especially coming so soon after Edward and Bella's marriage. At least Kate had Garret, Carmen had Eleazar. In fact, everyone in the family had their someone's...Even little Renesme. But not Tanya. Kate knew that Tanya had finally given up on finding anyone; she'd told Kate that upon her return to Denali from the Cullens a few months prior. Perhaps that was why Tanya seemed to have a little bit of life back in her—she'd finally come to the point where she felt she could move on .

But Kate still felt somewhat guilty about leaving her alone. "Well, if you're positive."

Tanya smiled and shook her head. "Go, sister. Have fun. And please don't worry about me. Carmen and Eleazar will be home early this afternoon, and I have plenty to keep me busy until they get here. After they're home, I am certain to be subjected to hearing every detail of their trip, along with pictures. Let me enjoy some peace and quiet for a few hours."

Kate smile and hugged her sister. Then turned and dashed downstairs. She was thrilled to be able to spend some alone time with Garret, but didn't want to appear too happy in front of Poor Tanya.

But poor Tanya knew anyway, and as Kate headed off, Tanya sighed. She was tired of being thought of as "Poor Tanya". She had to find some way of getting people to stop looking at her in that light. She wasn't poor…she had a wonderful family, great friends, and a full life. Maybe a hobby of some kind could keep her distracted and get people to stop with the "poor Tanya" thoughts. But what?

When she was done with the straightening and cleaning she felt needed to be done, she retired to the study, fired up the computer and started searching topics of interest to her. Maybe she could find some way to keep dust from accumulating. One would think that in Alaska dust wouldn't be a problem. But it was. Hmm…what about Botany? There was lots of variety among plants. Or maybe chemistry. That could be interesting; provided she didn't accidentally blow the house up. Perhaps she could find a formula for a high-explosive that would blow the Volturi's palace to bits.

Truth be told, that was what bothered her the most—her hatred of the Volturi. She knew it was turning into a dangerous obsession. Yes, she longed for a mate, someone to go shopping with, talk to and tell all of her thoughts and secrets, someone who would love her, and she them. It was still hard living with four other so-happy people. But the Volturi…that was the big thing she pondered night and day, whenever she allowed herself a free moment. She couldn't get it out of her head. Her mother, Irina, even Vasili. Oh, how she hated them! And then there were the not-too-veiled threats against the Cullens. And threats against she and Kate as well; they made no secret that they hated Tanya and her sister, and were just itching for any excuse to kill them. Everyone still on earth that she held dear was in danger from the Volturi. She also knew that Aro and Caius were just biding their time and waiting for an reason to take out both the Denalis and the Cullens. They were disappointed the birth of Renesme had not afforded them that reason.

She had been alternating between surfing the net and fuming over the arrogance of the Volturi for a couple hours and didn't realize it had been that long, until she heard the door bang, and Carmen call out, "WE'RE BAAAACK!" She breezed into the room, and Tanya stood up to give her a hug.

"How was the trip home?"

Carmen sighed and flopped down on the bed. "Oh, it was wonderful to visit our old homeland! So wonderful! But, it's good to be home now. We missed all of you…even Garret." She winked and Tanya laughed. Garret had been the subject of light-hearted teasing by Carmen and Tanya since he had moved in with them, much to Kate's annoyance.

"Well, things here have been quiet. Rather boring, actually. Speaking of which, I'm trying to find a new hobby, and I'm stumped. Any suggestions?"

"What's wrong with your old hobby of men?"

Tanya waved her hand. "Pft. Men only bring temporary pleasure. And heartache. I need something interesting, exciting."

"How about bungee jumping?"

Tanya frowned at Carmen's smirk. "Very funny. I'm serious. I need a hobby. Our lives can get so boring with nothing to do. I need something that peaks my interest."

Carmen smiled a bit sadly. She nearly told Tanya that what she needed was a mate, but wisely held her tongue. Tanya had so much love to give, but she didn't need to be reminded of the fact that all the others were paired up and she wasn't. Carmen wondered if at long last Tanya had finally given up on the idea of romance. If she had, Carmen found it hopeful in one sense, terribly sad in another.

"Bird watching then. There are many species of avians around these parts. And you could travel to different places to see rare types."

"Only if you all went with me. I don't like traveling alone." Tanya thought a moment, then shook her head. "No, I would probably get too bored too quickly watching birds." She sighed and turned back to the computer. "Oh well, I have time. Sooner or later, something will catch my interest."

Carmen watched her a moment more, then stood. "Well, come down stairs in a little while. We bought you and Kate some lovely souvenirs. Garret, also. By the way, where are those two?"

"They went into Anchorage for the day," Tanya replied absentmindedly, staring intently at the screen. "Doing some shopping and sightseeing. Garret had never been there before. And I'll be down in a minute."

Tanya was so engrossed with her internet search that her minute turned into ten minutes before she knew it. Suddenly, Carmen was back at the doorway.

"Um, Tanya? There's…there's someone here to see you. A man." The tone of Carmen's voice was one of confusion, and if Tanya had been paying closer attention she might have noticed. But she didn't.

"I'm not expecting any visitors," she replied.

Carmen lowered her voice. "It's a human! Tanya, what in the world are you doing giving humans our address? What if Garret can't handle it?"

That got her attention. She turned to Carmen, frowning. "What are you talking about? I'd never just hand out our address to anyone, let alone a human! I'm not crazy." She turned back to the computer screen. "What's this mystery man look like?

"Well, not bad for a human. Not bad at all. Probably the best looking human I've ever seen, in fact. And he has the most amazing green eyes."

Tanya laughed. "Really? Maybe I should come down and see. I've never met anyone with…green eyes?" Suddenly, Tanya remembered someone that she had indeed given out their address to. She spun in her chair and ran to Carmen, taking her by the shoulders. "Did you say he had green eyes?"

"Yes. Very green."

There was a loud clap of thunder.

Tanya stifled a gasp. No point in freaking Carmen out. She dragged Carmen into the room, shut the door, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "It must be Sean, the guy I told you all about? The one I met in the bar?"

Carmen's expression remained puzzled for a moment, before being replaced by a knowing smile. "Ah, I remember now! The one you were worried about, and stopped to tell the Cullens of?"

"Yes, that one! I wonder what he's doing here?" Tanya began to wring her hands.

Carmen smiled knowingly again. "He's probably here to see you. After all, you did invite him, remember?"

"Invite him?" Tanya repeated. "Well, yes, in a manner of speaking."

Carmen laughed. "No manner of speaking! You practically begged him to visit!"

"But…but I thought maybe he would just come in a year! I—this is just so unexpected." She began pacing the room. "What should I do?"

Carmen guided her towards the door. "Go down and say hello to him, perhaps?"

Tanya jerked back from Carmen as if she'd been slapped. "What? Are you crazy? Look at me! I'm a mess!" She hurried to the closet, yanked the door open, and started tossing dresses out, looking for the perfect one. Then she stopped and sighed. Embarrassed, she turned to Carmen again. "Oh what an idiot I am, running around like a school girl. Or like Alice. It's not as if there's anything between us. We're barely even friends—more like acquaintances." She smiled and headed for the door, a determined look on her face.

Carmen followed behind. When they descended the stairs into the living room, they saw Sean. He was looking out the window, his back to them. Before she reached the bottom of the steps, he turned and smiled. Tanya's breath was lost for just a brief moment at the sight of his face.

Quickly regaining her composure, she smiled and held out her hand. "Sean! What a pleasant surprise! It hasn't been a year yet…I didn't expect to see you so soon. How are you?"

Sean took her hand gently and pressed his lips to the back of it. "I am well, Miss Tanya. I trust the same can be said for you? As for my visit, you did say at least in a year. I hope my visit hasn't inconvenienced you?" He was still smiling, and if Tanya had been able to, she would have been blushing profusely.

"Yes, I'm quite well, thank you." That strange feeling she had gotten back in the bar returned in full force. She stood there staring at him as he continued to smile back at her, until she heard a soft "ahem" behind her. At the same time, she realized that she was still holding his hand. Dropping it quickly, she stepped back and grabbed Carmen's arm. "Where are my manners? Sean, this is Carmen, one of my dearest friends. She's like a sister to me."

Carmen held out her hand to Sean. "A pleasure to meet you, Sean. Tanya has told us a lot about you."

Sean pressed his lips to Carmen's hand as well, then winked at Tanya. "Has she, now? It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Carmen. And I assume this is your husband?"

Eleazar had come up behind Carmen without them realizing it. He shook the hand that Sean held out. After an exchange of pleasantries on his part, Eleazar took Carmen into the other room. Tanya gestured at the couch, and she took a seat. Sean sat beside her, but at the opposite end of the couch. Tanya wasn't sure what to make of that, but inexplicably it hurt a little. Was he scared she'd bite him or something? "So Sean, what have you been up to lately?" Her attempt at casual small talk sounded flat in her ears.

"Oh, not too much. I've gone on a couple of trips, and an errand for my Grandfather. Done some research." He shrugged. "Nothing very exciting. How about you?"

"The same, nothing terribly exciting or interesting. Ah, the boring life of the immortal, right?" She smiled.

Sean returned it. He smiled a lot, Tanya noticed. But it was a nice smile, a warm and pleasant one, not phony at all. She liked it.

"Your life has been anything but boring, Miss Tanya," Sean murmured, frowning a little. He leaned forward. "Tanya, part of what I have been doing the last three months and 8 days since we met, indirectly involves you. We have been doing research into these Volturi you told me about. And we have come to the conclusion that they need to be watched closely. They are dangerous. Their leader, this Aro, or whatever his name is, he's too power hungry, too selfish, corrupt and brutal. We especially do not like the way they work, arbitrarily taking the law into their own hands, and treating the humans like cattle."

Tanya was shocked. "You're going to move against the Volturi?"

"No, not preemptively. Ordinarily, with the vampires we're familiar with, as long as they don't draw too much attention to their existence, nor indiscriminately massacre humans, or kill those under our protection, we let them govern themselves. But these Volturi—they are unlike any we have ever encountered. And if we feel the need arises, they will be dealt with."

Fear surged through Tanya at his words. She had already lost so much because of the Volturi. They were already thinking up ways to try and remove both she and Kate. If they suspected that she was in any way plotting against them, they wouldn't hesitate to kill all the Denalis, and most likely the Cullens as well. Aro was even contemplating ways of removing the Egyptians if it could be done discreetly.

Sean could see the fear in her eyes, and hung his head. "Forgive me, Lady. It was not my intention to cause you more fear and pain. Quite the opposite, actually."

He paused a moment, thinking. Then he stood and walked to the window, motioning for Tanya to join him. When she did, he was silent again for a moment, looking out at the landscape. "Are you at all familiar with the Bible story about Elisha, and how his servant could only see the enemy army that had them surrounded? And Elisha asked God to open his servant's eyes, so that he could see that the army guarding them was bigger than the one attacking them?"

Somewhere in her dim, distant recollection, Tanya did vaguely remember something of the sort. She nodded.

Sean smiled. "Tanya, what would you do if you saw the entire Volturi…eh, what's that word you use? Coven? What if you saw the entire Volturi coven walking down your driveway there?"

Tanya cringed at the thought. In her mind's eyes, she had already pictured such a sight many times. And it did not fill her with happiness, to say the least. "I'd be terrified. Not so much for myself. For me, I'd almost welcome it, and see how many of them I could take out before they destroyed me and put me out of my misery. But I would be terrified for my family and friends here with me."

His smile never fading, Sean held his hand out to her. Hesitantly, Tanya reached out and took it. Sean squeezed her hand reassuringly, closed his eyes a moment, then opened them. "I'm certainly not God, but… look outside again."

Tanya tore her gaze from Sean's eyes, and looked out the window. The driving rain couldn't stop her vampire eyes from seeing clearly. This time, she couldn't stifle the gasp that escaped her lips. It looked as if the entire forest around their house was alive. The trees writhed in a nonexistent wind, their shapes shifting—sometimes looking like trees, and other times like giant, beautiful people. Shadowy images that she couldn't make out clearly darted and flitted around the edges of the clearing. Figures floated through the air. Strange glowing animals watched both the house and the driveway. One of the figures darted up to the window, grinning. Tanya jumped back a little, and the creature laughed. Not meanly, just teasingly. In fact, it reminded her a bit of something Emmet would do.

The figure appeared to be a beautiful young girl, probably about 18 or so. She wore a filmy garment of some fabric Tanya did not recognize. Her somewhat golden skin and yellow hair glimmered despite the dark gloom of the heavy downpour. The girl cocked her head at Tanya, looking her up and down briefly. Then she curtsied to Sean before darting off again, moving faster than even a vampire could.

"What—who are they?" Tanya asked, somewhat breathlessly, as she continued to watch the figures outside.

Sean watched, too, smiling affectionately. "My people…my family. Humans call them 'fairies', or sometimes The Fey. We have been on earth for millennia. Long before any vampires appeared —either your kind or the ones we already knew of. We are ancient and powerful. Born immortal, we can't die in any sense that even you would understand death to be. You know how old I am. Well, by my family's standards, I'm practically still a baby."

Tanya looked back at Sean. A baby? This gorgeous man was considered a baby? Wait a second…did she just call him gorgeous? She shook her head. "Why did that…girl curtsey to you?"

Sean blushed. He smelled wonderful. "Oh. You noticed that, did you? It's kind of embarrassing." Sean was really hesitant to continue. Tanya found it cute. "Well, you see, it's like this. My grandfather is the King. So they all have it in their heads to treat me like royalty or something. It's silly." He shook his head.

Still holding her hand, Sean guided her away from the window and back to the couch. They sat, and this time he sat right next to her, cradling her hand in both of his. His ever-present smile was gone, replaced with a serious expression. "Tanya, you must promise me something."

His tone of voice was so intense that she nearly said, "I promise you anything", but instead merely nodded her head.

"Whatever happens, please let me and my associates deal with the Voltrui. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to engage them yourself. Please. You see that you and your family are well guarded here. Nothing can get through our people. Not even these Volturi. And please, if I feel it is necessary, I will send you a message. If I do, then under no circumstances are any you to venture beyond these woods until you receive the all clear from me. Okay? Please."

Tanya was a little confused at his words. But she nodded. "Okay, Sean. If you send a message, I promise we'll stay here." For some reason, she did trust Sean. Completely. At the same time, she had her family to worry about. "But what if it takes a while for you to let us know it's safe again? We'd do need to hunt on occasion."

Sean sighed. "Yes, of course. If need be, if the time is long, we can get you all the animals you would need. "

"I'll talk to the others. Kate and I have the most reason to hate the Volturi, but Carmen and Eleazar don't particularly like them, either."

The smile returned to Sean's face. "Good. Well, that's settled then. I hope."

At that moment, the front door banged open, and Kate walked in, followed by Garret, who was burdened with several packages and bags. "New dresses all around!" Kate exclaimed, smiling brightly at Tanya. Then she noticed Sean. "Oh! Who's this?" Kate still smiled, but a bit of tenseness entered her tone.

"Kate, Garret, this is Sean, the man I told you about, that I met on my last trip south?"

Kate's face brightened, and the tenseness left her voice. "Oh! This is the mysterious Sean! Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you!" She beamed at Sean, pumping his hand up and down. She shot a speculative glance at Tanya. Garret merely frowned, nodding rather brusquely at Sean before disappearing upstairs with the bags

Sean turned back to Tanya. "I hate to say it, but I have to go."

Tanya's face fell."Really? I was hoping you could stay a while, and all of us could get better acquainted."

Sean sighed again. "Hopefully, the next time I visit will be under more pleasant circumstances, and there will be much more time to talk. But sadly, I really must be going." He took Tanya's hand and again kissed the back of it. "Stay well, Miss Tanya."

"You too, Mr. Sean." She smiled.

"I fear it's a bit cliché, but my last name is Murphy." He bowed to Kate, and headed out the door. Kate joined Tanya at the window and watched as he started down the driveway. Tanya expected to still see the strange creatures outside, but the clearing and woods around the house had returned to normal.

"Cute!" Kate commented, nudging Tanya with her hip. Tanya turned and gently slapped her sister's arm. "Don't start. It's not like that."

Kate laughed, but her laugh turned to a gasp as they looked back out the window. Sean was gone. It was a good three hundred yards or more to the bend in the driveway, but he had disappeared. Not only that, but it dawned on Tanya then that Sean had not arrived in a car. Confusion filled her mind again.

Then the phone rang. Tanya answered it while Kate went off in search of Garret. "Carlisle! It's great to hear from you! You won't believe who just left!"

"Sean?" Carlisle replied.

Tanya blinked. "Yes…how in the world did you know?"

"He visited me as well, this morning. But that's impossible…how did he get up there so fast?"

Tanya had no idea, but she told Carlisle about how Sean had disappeared, and not driven a car. She then filled him in as well on what Sean had said about the Volturi, what she had seen around the woods, and what Sean had told her of himself.

"Yes, he was pumping us for information about them as well. I'm not sure what to make of it. And we have noticed differences in the forest near here as well. It all makes sense now."

They talked and speculated together for a while. Carlisle was impressed over the fact that Sean was part of the Fey royal line, but it didn't totally surprise him either. Both he and Tanya decided it would be best to talk to their respective families as soon as possible.

After she hung up, Tanya moved back to the window. In her mind's eye, she pictured the scene from before. It was hard to remember, seeing the woods and clearing so empty and peaceful now, that she was so strongly guarded. As were the Cullens. It calmed her a little. And she felt gratified to have learned another piece or two of the puzzle that was Sean Murphy. She hoped to find out even more in time.

It was night in Volterra. The city was quiet and peaceful. A man walked through the gates, checked a map, and headed toward the central plaza. It was mostly deserted at that hour, and he loitered about near the fountain, casually looking around and taking a few pictures. He took several pictures of a certain building, then looked at some floor plans that he'd been holding.

After taking a few more pictures of the building, he noticed a dark, hulking shadow, clad in a grey robe, appear in an alley adjacent to the building. He smiled, his green eyes twinkling in the lights of the fountain. Removing a cell phone from the pocket of his long, grey coat, he dialed a number, which was picked up before it rang.

"I've found it," the man spoke in Irish. "And I've already got a spectator." He listened to the reply and chuckled. "No, it was easier than easy." He listened once more to the reply, snapped the phone shut, then vaulted up onto the ledge of the fountain. Sitting down so he was facing the hulking shadow in the alley, the man grinned and folded his hands in his lap. The two remained motionless, staring at one another as the night wore away…..