Happy Christmas!


Esther

"Something's wrong." A voice said.

I woke with a jolt to see my daughter hovering over me.

"Lidiya what is it?" I asked.

"Elijah I think he's dead." she told me.

"What?" I asked jolting from my bed. I noticed my husband wasn't with me, which meant I had been asleep for far longer than normal. I didn't linger on the thought for long. Who got to Elijah?

"Something bad has happened mama," my daughter told me. I noticed she was in pyjamas but it was out of place her being here, she wasn't focused on anything and she was swaying.

"Lidiya," I exclaimed as her eyes closed and she fell. I caught her with ease and placed her onto my bed. I stripped and pulled on the closest clothes I could find in a blink of an eye and began calling for Aleksander.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You didn't see her come in?" I asked.

"Who?" he asked in Bulgarian.

"Lidiya, she's on our bed now. I think she sleep walked to us. Something's wrong," I said and told Aleksander to go check on Lidiya whilst I woke up Anelie and Matthew. I found them already awake and outside on the fresh morning grass, making their way over to us.

"I just woke up and she's gone!" Matthew told me.

"She's in my house. She's fine but she was sleep walking. She's never done that before," I told him as I turned and headed back into my house. Anelie was the first to touch her sister and Lidiya woke instantly.

"What am I doing here?" she asked turning to me and her father.

"You were sleep walking. You came here to tell me something was wrong," I told her , I scanned her mind and saw she didn't remember anything.

"I-wrong with what?" she asked.

"Elijah. Did you feel him pass?" I asked her.

"Clara's friend?" she asked me and I nodded. She frowned for a moment as she tapped into her ability. She gasped and her eyes scanned the area in front of her but she wasn't focused on something corporeal in the room. She was seeing something else.

"He's not dead but he's close to it. He's fighting. I can see him, he's hurt. Badly, so is Clara. She's with him and they've been in an accident," Lidiya told us. That was enough to have me out of the door and into Edward and Bella's house within a few seconds.

"Edward!" I shouted as I bounded up the stairs. Edward had stepped out of the bedroom just in time.

"What?" he asked but I allowed him to see every second of it with my mind.

"Bella!" he called as he pulled the shirt he had in his hand over his head. "Clara's in trouble" he said as she emerged and we all ran down the stairs and across the lawn to where Zio was.

"Madeleine isn't answering," Bella panicked her cell phone to her ear. "Neither is Elijah or Clara."

"Call Zac. Get him to bring Madeleine here," Edward said as we entered the code to access the main floor where Zio and Chanti lived.

Before we even got to their floor I felt a jolt.

Esty!

It was Aurora. The girl I had taught from a child, my prodigy. My little Aurora. She was the only person in the world that called me that.

She was in trouble. I could feel it.

Esty please help me. I don't know where I am.

Calm down sweetheart.

I could feel her panicking, I could feel her fear taking over. She was going to lash out and it wasn't good when Aurora Cullen lashed out. She was an ability dampener but she could also explode everything she ever absorbed out from her body. From birth we thought she was just another Bella. Edward couldn't read her mind from day one, neither could I or Eddie. Growing up she used this to her advantage, Jasper didn't work on her either, nor did Renesmee or even Chantelle. She managed to stop abilities around her, but at her own choice. The day she turned into a vampire we also found out that she didn't just stop them, she absorbed them, she was an assimilator like me not a shield. She couldn't use the abilities she absorbed, she just held the essence of them inside her and when she was out of control she unleashed them, they exploded from her and didn't stop no matter who they hit. She knocked her husband out a day after she was turned, despite having exceptional self control, and was immediately taken to Jasper for help controlling her ability. When he couldn't help, she was brought to me. I was the only one that could assimilate as well. It also helped that I could withstand her anger and so I taught her to control her ability, to use it for good. I just hoped she remembered our years of lessons in the immediate danger she was in. Aurora had never been in danger. She had been protected from the day she was conceived, just like every other Cullen child after Renesmee. She had never been in actual danger in her entire life. Over the years I had taught her to let me into her mind, it was one of the last things she learnt but we had become so close it was something she wanted and it was times like this I was grateful she was another one of the little voices in my head.

Calm down, listen to my voice in your head. Take deep breaths and move your toes for me, you can move them? I asked her.

Yes.

Your fingers?

Yes.

Are your eyes open?

Yes it's just dark.

Okay can you move your arms and legs? Can you move?

Yes I can walk around but I can't see! Esther why can't I see?!

I could feel her panic and it set me on edge. Nothing scared Aurora. I knew where she was coming from though. She was a vampire she should be able to see in the dark.

"Esther?" Edward asked me. I saw it registering in his head my conversation with Aurora and the look on Edward's face was more than heartbreak, it was pure pain and anger and confusion. Two of his grandchildren had been taken. Something had happened to them and he knew it wasn't a coincidence.

"Edward?" Bella asked. I went to reach for her before I told her that two of her closest grandchildren had been taken but Edward shook his head. Pleading with me.

Dont tell her. She won't be able to handle it. I wanted to disagree with him, in fact I thought Bella could handle it very well, her maternal instinct was strong and that would will her to carry on for them but I didn't say anything. Edward was still talking

Where is Phoebe? He asked me. My eyes widened in panic. If they had Aurora they had Phoebe and I couldn't place her. She wasn't in her room now. More pain flickered across Edward's face as we stepped out of the elevator. He was gone in a flash. Bella looked confused as she ran after him.

"Zio!" Edward was almost crying. Zio was awake immediately. So was Chantelle. I offered Chantelle a dressing gown and she took it gratefully. Zio remained in their bed but Chantelle was standing and searching the face of her grief struck uncle.

"I think she's made her next move." Edward managed to say.

"What's that Edward?" Zio asked climbing out of the bed. I was grateful he was dressed.

"Clara, Elijah, Aurora, Phoebe. She has them and who knows who else." Edward told him.

"What?" Bella asked in horror.

"Aurora and Phoebe?" Chanti asked looking at me for confirmation. I nodded just as I got a spark from Aurora again.

Are you okay Aura? I asked her.

Someone else is here.

Is it your mother? I asked her, I couldn't locate Phoebe with the tracking ability I had from Chloe. Just like I couldn't locate Aurora or Clara.

My mom? Aurora asked and then it hit her that she had been staying with her mother at the time.

At the same time I was suddenly bombarded with more people trying to talk to me. I gripped my head in concentration trying to separate the voices. I was mentally linked to certain people but this was getting insane, I couldn't turn it off.

"Esther?" Edward asked.

"I can't talk to them I can't make them out."

I was starting to panic and I just wanted to scream at the voices in my head to shut up. this had only happened a few times before, it only really happened in close proximity to Eddie or Edward.

"Calm down," Zac said. He was suddenly in front of me. He was one of the few that had seen this happen to me. He pulled my hands off my head. "Look at me," he said soothingly and I managed to look up at him. His eyes used to be sky blue as a human. It had been my favourite feature of him when we first met. Now his eyes were a swirling gold, the same as anyone in this room. However his still managed to calm me faster than any of the vampires in this room. Just like old times. "We need you. I need you. I need you to find our family. I need you to find Clara. You're linked to Aurora, focus on her." He said.

"I can't. Jacob is in my head," I said. The most prominent voice was that of Jacob Black. I don't think he was aiming for me. He was aiming for the mind of Eddie but with us so closely linked I was getting it too.

"What the hell is going on?" Eddie yelled from one of the other rooms. He found us in Zio and Chanti's bedroom and saw how distressed I was and the second I looked at him it hit him too.

"Jesus Christ shut up!" he yelled at the voices in our head.

"Yeah," I agreed with him.

"Why is Jacob yelling at me, why is his granddaughter's imprint in my head?"

"Tell Jacob to calm down. We're going to get his granddaughter back." Edward said to Eddie.

"He's angry dad. Very angry," Eddie replied. Bella was on the phone again and she held it to Edward.

"Thank god for that," Eddie said as I felt Jacob and the entire pack leave our head.

"Jacob it's not our fault!" Edward told his best friend. "Jacob I know! No you will not," he continued with breaks between his speech. "Jake I know... no stay there... Liana will... no I don't want Liana getting her hands on the wolves... Jake!... Jacob!" Edward was frustrated. Bella snatched the phone from him.

"Jacob Black give it a rest!" Bella yelled and the other end went silent.

"Bella..."I heard his voice in pain. "How am I supposed to tell Nessie?" he asked.

"You won't. You will go on as normal. Tell Aaron that we will get Phoebe back. We always do. It's not like she's going to die. Lidy and Annie are here. Everything is okay. We'll get them both back, they'll be home in La Push within the week I promise." She told him softly.

"Okay Bells. I'm sorry, I do trust you it's just I've just got a very distressed wolf on my hands and it's my granddaughter Bell."

"I'm well aware of that Jacob. She's mine too. I will return her to you," she told him softly.

"Love you bells, stay safe okay?"

"Love you too Jake. We'll see you soon, " she said before quickly adding. "That's not permission to bring my first born daughter here okay? Keep her safe away from here. Please."

"I will," he said before they hung up she turned to us. I felt bad for Jacob. Not only was Phoebe his first born granddaughter, she was also Aaron Uley's imprint, she had managed to persuade him to stay in La Push for a few weeks because one of their friends was ill but now she was in serious danger and I had seen how strong the imprint was between Jacob and Renesmee. Aaron must be going out of his mind, his animal instinct screaming at him to protect her.

"Right. Now. How the hell do we get them back?" Bella asked. "That bitch is going to regret taking my grandchildren."

"First things first." Zio said pulling on his dark red Volturi robe. Chantelle copied and my daughters and their husbands disappeared to fetch theirs too I guessed.

"What?" Bella asked.

"Head count. I want every Cullen, Balev, Black, Hughes, Taylor within the state boundary in the Volturi mansion within the hour. We need to know who is gone."

"Chloe is already onto it," Eddie said as he took my hand in his. The immediate comfort was much needed.

"I still want to see them. With my own eyes. I need everyone here protected and safe," Zio said and Eddie nodded. Everyone was on their phones whilst Eddie and I used our telepathy to contact them too.

The next hour was constant waves of relief as members of the family and guard flooded into the Volturi mansion. Zio was standing on the stage, his eyes running from every face, every person in that room. Even Clara's aunts and uncles were here with her cousins. They were all groggy from waking up so early. Chantelle was being the perfect host and keeping them calm and directing them to the guest quarters.

"Clara. Elijah. Aurora. Phoebe. That's it. Why?" Zio asked us standing on the stage. He was pacing, trying to work out Liana's reasoning.

"The most vulnerable?" Matthew asked. Zio shook his head.

"If that was the case why didn't she take Sophie? Or Madeleine, they're the humans. Not Aurora," he mentioned.

"Aurora is our most powerful weapon, Phoebe is her mother. They could use her for leverage. Clara is Axton's weakness and Elijah is Clara's. They're there for motivation," Jasper announced. "They were also conveniently unprotected last night. Clara and Elijah were miles away. Phoebe felt ill so Aurora took her home whilst we were all in the same location. They were an easy target."

As everyone in the room took in Jaspers information I saw many tense expressions, hands going through messy hair, pacing and hushed muttering. I watched Bella. She was just standing there, like she was thinking things over. I personally thought she was about to break down. It had been a long time since a Cullen had been successfully kidnapped from us, and never has four of the family been taken in one night. The last time anything remotely like this happened was with my granddaughter Allesandra, who right now was leaning against the wall engrossed in her own thoughts. I hated to think about what memories this would bring up for her. I saw Lidiya follow my gaze and she was over by her daughter in a second. Allesandra was too emotionally involved in this, she couldn't help us, not with a clear head. And if we didn't have her, we didn't have her husband in this fight. My daughters couldn't help, they were far too vulnerable to Liana's magic. Most of the Cullen's wouldn't survive a moment in range of that witch to perform any kind of fighting.

We had never seen this kind of threat before. One that I had a feeling would beat us. We couldn't win. She had the ultimate bargaining chip. She had our family and we had no way to get them back, not without losing others.

There were no plans spoken, no strategising and no talk of how to go about this. People felt helpless. Such a drop from the elation we had before. All we had was Axton and Cain. The lives of our family members were in their hands and I had never felt so helpless in my entire life. I knew no one would let me go again, not on my own. Even I couldn't beat Liana. She could be anyone, do anything and had no boundaries or weaknesses.

"Maybe there's someone we can contact? There has to be someone who can help us," Bella was saying.

"We have no one else. "Edward replied to his wife.

"But what about-" she began.

"There is no one else!" Edward nearly shouted. Bella shut up immediately and looked like a scolded puppy. I wanted to go over and hug her but a thought distracted me.

There was someone else.

I just couldn't believe that I was thinking of ever doing it.

"Who?" Edward said to me immediately.

"An old friend," I said softly. "But I promised I would never disturb her unless it was an emergency."

"This is an emergency," Bella said quickly.

"I've lasted three thousand years without having to use her."

"Your family is in danger from the biggest threat we've ever encountered, they might not have your daughters yet but they will, they have Clara, they have Elijah, they have Aurora and Phoebe. You and your daughters are next. You know that right? She won't stop with Ana and Eva either. She'll get anyone she can to get you. Liana is too strong, even you can't beat her. We need someone else. something else..." Edward said. I stared into his black eyes as they danced side to side watching me. I knew he was right, I just hoped it wouldn't come to this.

"Aleksander," I whispered and he appeared at my side in a moment. "We're going to France," I told him as I stood up.

"France? That will take at least two days to get there and back." Edward complained.

"24 hours at the most. We'll be back tomorrow, I have to go there to wake her up. She can't just come here," I explained.

"Wake who up?" Lidiya asked turning her attention from her daughter to the conversation.

"Grace," I told her and she stood there in silence as her father and I walked out. Lidiya knew the story of Grace, of who she was to me, as did Aleksander. Grace was the first family I had. When I ran from the witches that created me I found a home with Grace and her grandson Darius. She helped me understand what I was. She taught me, she loved me and she protected me. The day before my wedding day to her grandson he was viciously murdered, unable to cope with the grief of losing her last living relative Grace put herself into a deep sleep, having cast some very powerful spells to link herself to me and to protect me for as long as we both lived. I kept her body safe in the same house she raised me in ever since, with the promise that one day, and only when all hope is lost that I could revive her.

"Are you sure my love?" he asked.

"Edward's right, they already have Aurora. Lidiya and Anelie are next and possibly Ana and Eva. I know Grace would want to help." I told him and he nodded as he took my hand.

The flight to France felt like it took forever. I was anxious as I left the plane and we began running through the forests. I took this trip every year and yet this time it felt different. Upon entering the cottage I grew up in I noticed it needed building work again. Over the years I had to keep reinforcing the structure to make sure it didn't fall. Grace was lying in the centre of the cottage, just like normal.

"This is grace?" Aleksander asked.

"Yes," I said as I walked over to her. She was still as beautiful as the day she spelled herself. She could change her face like Liana and Cain but she chose the face of a young woman. Barely older than myself. Blonde and porcelain. As she lay on the table she looked like a doll. I wasn't sure how to wake her, when she first put the spell on herself she left me a note saying that my blood would awake her but I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. I bit into my wrist and let my blood drip into a vial I brought with me. Once I had the vial I watched Grace's still face, trying to think what she would do. I knew she wasn't a vampire but I would try putting it on her lips first anyway. It was the logical place. When she didn't move or wake I worried I had waited too long.

"Try her mind or heart. After all those probably bound the spell," Aleksander said to me. I tried her forehead next but nothing happened. As soon as my blood touched her chest I heard a gasp and colour flooded back into her skin. Her eyes shot open and the white iris' flooded with the green that I used to be so familiar with. It momentarily shocked me seeing those eyes again, the eyes of my mentor that she shared with my first love.

"Grace," I said softly. She sat up and her eyes focused on me. I spoke her name in the language she was accustomed to from three thousand years ago but it shocked me that from her first word she spoke was in English. Like her body knew how to adapt.

"Esther my dear. I said not to wake me-," she began but suddenly took in her surroundings, she saw brick, something that was entirely new, then she saw our clothes and her eyes fixated with mine. She lifted her hand and stroked my face. My eyes shut immediately feeling the familiarity of her touch sent emotions running through me I hadn't felt in a very very long time.

"You're so much older. So much pain in your eyes but also love, you have experienced so much. How long has it been?" she asked.

"Three and a half thousand years," I said, it was barely audible but she was merely centimetres from me. She gasped and jumped off the table she had been laying on, she took a step outside to see that her farm was gone, whilst a forest still surrounded us it wasn't the forest she knew.

"Esther," she gasped.

"I am so sorry to wake you Grace. I never intended to wake you. I have made it this far, I have a family now and others like me. I am happy but someone is out to destroy my happiness that I've waited so long to have. You were our last hope," I begged her. She turned to see Aleksander standing behind me.

"This is your new mate?" she asked.

"Yes, this is Aleksander, he is the father of my children and my husband," I explained. She smiled bitter sweetly as she came over to him, she lifted her hand to touch his cheek and he let her.

"I am so glad you found someone my dear, I can see how much he loves you," she said as her hand dropped to his heart. I was proud of my husband letting a nearly complete stranger touch him. He rarely let anyone close enough to touch him unless it was myself or our children or grandchildren.

"Esther is my life," he responded and a smile lit up Grace's face. I ran my finger across my wrist. I habit I had from a long time ago when a bracelet lay there.

"I am so happy you found someone Esther," she turned to me.

"Grace, someone's after me, me and my daughters," I told her again.

"Well let's go save them then," she smiled, "Where to now?" she asked.

"You have to understand the world has changed a bit since your time, it may be shocking to you."

"I am an immortal witch Esther, I was made to adjust."

"Very well then, we're going to fly home," I told her.

"Fly?!" she asked with wide eyes.

"In an aeroplane yes," I smiled as I took her hand and made our way back to the airport. On the way we stopped by a public bathroom so Grace could clean off the blood I had poured on her, she also changed into more modern clothes.

"I say... the clothes are rather tight," Grace said looking uncomfortable in the jeans and top I had provided her. I smiled and took her hand.

"Sorry about that," I laughed and Grace smiled at me.

"I dreamt about that you know my dear, your laugh. It's good to hear it again," she said as she kissed my temple.

"Let's go home," I smiled and we entered the airport. We found our private jet and were back in the states within hours.

"Where are we?" Grace asked. "This soil... it's different, the land. It's strange"

"Its somewhere you've never been. Its across the sea," I explained to her.

"Amazing," Grace gasped as she observed the area. By the time we got back to the Volturi mansion Grace had fallen asleep in the car. I woke her gently and asked her if she wanted to meet my daughters now.

"Nothing would give me more pleasure," she said as she climbed out the car. She took my hand again as we entered the courtyard of the Volturi grounds. I knew Edward and Bella must be going out of their minds, not to mention Clara's mother and poor Aaron back home in La Push. I had no idea how everyone was explaining this to Elijah's mother. I just hoped this was the answer and we'd have them all back by nightfall.

"Wow, you live here?" she asked.

"Yes, me and my very large family" I smiled.

"All from you?" she asked looking between me and my husband.

"No not all, they're sort of our adopted family. My best friend, Eddie, he's like me, we became very close and this is his biological family. They've become mine too, my daughters have married into the family and it's our home now too," I explained the best I could.

"I can't wait to meet your girls Esther. They're powerful correct?" she asked as we entered the reception and headed to the lounge area where I knew my daughters were waiting. I didn't want it to be held in the throne room, it was entirely too formal for introductions of this kind. Grace was my first family, I couldn't introduce two parts of my world in a cold formal throne room. Grace deserved better when meeting her essential granddaughters.

"Very." I smiled at her as we entered the room. Lidiya and Anelie were talking amongst themselves when Lidiya turned and noticed us first. She immediately stood and walked over to us.

"Oh my," Grace gasped.

"Hello Grace," Lidiya said with a small bow of her head.

"Oh my dear, you are exquisite," she said as she pulled my daughter into a hug. Lidiya laughed as she hugged Grace back.

"I am Lidiya," she announced.

"And I am Grace," she smiled and turned to Anelie who was now at Lidiya's side. "Twins." Grace smiled and hugged Anelie.

"I am Anelie, it's so very nice to finally meet you," she said to Grace.

"Oh dears, there is no need to be so formal. I loved your mother like a daughter and I already love you as my grandchildren." She said softly then raised her hands to each of their faces. "You are so special." She whispered in awe pronouncing every word slowly and precisely as if it emphasised the words she spoke.

"Life and Death yes?" she asked turning to me. I had been watching the scene silently with a smile on my face. I thought I'd never see the moment but here it was right in front of me. I nodded to Grace.

"Very special indeed," she said before turning to just Lidiya. "A baby girl too," she smiled.

"A girl?" Lidiya asked.

"Oh sorry dear I assumed you'd know."

"My sister does but she's been keeping it from me."

"You are Death then?" Grace asked.

"Yes," Lidiya answered with a smile.

"And you are Life," Grace turned to Anelie who nodded. "Such powerful apparitions, I imagine you caused your mother quite a bit of trouble growing up," she said sweetly.

"You have no idea Grace," I said for the first time and walking over to them. "I'd like you to meet some other members of the family, ones that are in charge, I guess you could say. We are at war with the biggest threat we've ever faced and my daughters are in danger because of it, she already has various members of our family and I fear they are next. He will explain what's going on and possibly how you can help, will you meet them?" I asked her.

"Of course Esther, I have spent nearly four thousand years keeping you safe, I will not stop now." She answered and I took her hand to lead her to the throne room. Sitting on their thrones were Zio, Matthew and Ben. My daughters walked in behind us and Lidiya took her place next to Matthew. He stood and offered his seat for her like the gentleman he was. Zio stood too and came down to greet Grace.

"Good evening Grace," he said offering his hand. She ignored it and hugged him instead. Zio smiled and chuckled slightly before hugging her too.

"This is Pancrazio Cullen, leader of the Volturi Coven. His son is Matthew, Lidiya's husband and their son Benjamin. They rule the supernatural world to ensure peace is kept between species," I explained.

"Quite a job," Grace smiled at Pancrazio. "Now, what is this threat my daughter speaks of?" Grace asked.

"She's an immortal witch, like you," Matthew said coming down to greet her.

"Lilim?" Grace asked with a sigh.

"Yes, you know her?" Zio asked.

"She is my sister," Grace sighed again, her hands going through her hair.

"Your sister?!" I gasped suddenly wondering if resurrecting my guardian angel was a good idea. If Lilim was her sister would she still help us?

"Don't worry my dear, I will still help you. You are the family I chose not her. She and I were the first. We don't know how we were created but as children we grew up together. Your daughters remind me of us, the way they're such opposites. That was me and Lilim. We were good and bad. Light and dark. She always found the humour and excitement in death where as I found it in birth and life. She created that man, Cain, when we were sixteen years old. Our powers were endless and so new, she created another one of us because I didn't join in on her 'fun' as she called it. She stole a farmers boy from the village and used the moon to make him like us. Her power was split, half into Cain half into herself. That's why she can't make another, she's not as powerful as she once was, she needs Cain to create power like that again. I am the only one that is more powerful than she and I will find your family and I will save them. I promise. My sister has done enough damage in this world. I spent the last 3000 years protecting you my dear, now you are strong and no longer the fragile young girl my grandson brought home on a summers night. I am at peace knowing you don't need me anymore, I will do everything in my power to stop Lilim from hurting anyone else." Grace said before stroking my face.

"I will always need you," I said softly. She smiled back before she kissed my forehead.

"And I will always be with you, no matter what," she said, her hand ran down my arm and I felt the presence of something on my wrist as her fingers ran over mine. I looked down to see the silver bracelet Grace had intended to give me on my wedding day was on my wrist. I had taken Darius' with me after I left but I had lost it a long time ago. This one was the one intended for me.

"come my daughter, let's go save your family"

We're coming for you Aurora. I promise I'll save you.


Last ever time I write Esther's POV :( at least for this story. I will continue to write her life story on my blog but for official FanFiction content this is it.

Next chapter will be Clara's POV again to see what went on for the few days she was taken.

If you want more back story on Grace and Esther, go to my blog and click the 'Esther' story tab and read the 1497 BC chapter.