PART TWO

2008.

I had heard of the impending battle. Living in Texas had its advantages, vampires passed through regularly. That's how I came to know of Carlisle's predicament.

It worried me.

So I decided to go and see why many vampires had been chatting about Carlisle collecting vamps- as far as I was aware, he was still a nomad. But was in possession of an immortal child.

I arrived late one evening, and was surprised immensely to find that there were well over fifteen vampires in the building. I knocked on the door, and heard someone approach. When he opened to door, my (unnecessary) breathing stopped. He looked exactly the same, but his once happy eyes seemed impossibly drawn and sad. He was surprised to say the least.

'My god, Lazette!' he gasped, grasping the attention of pretty much the entire room. Suddenly three other vampires, all with the telltale golden eyes appeared out of the crowd. Two women, one with bronze locks and a mothering face, the other with dead straight blonde hair, and the face of a very beautiful vampire. The third was a burly looking guy, with curly brown hair. He wrapped a protective arm around the blonde, giving me a cautious look (no surprises there, a five foot something Spanish looking girl with a mass of curly black hair and very high cheekbones, topped of with crimson eyes) and the bronze haired woman wrapped an arm protectively around Carlisle. Ah.

'Is everything all right?' she asked. Carlisle was still staring at me, so I decided to take control.

'How do you, miss. My name's Lazette and I heard that you needed help.' I said, extending my hand. Her face softened.

'Hello, Lazette. My name is Esme, this is Rosalie and Emmett,' she said, indicating to the two other vampires who had appeared. Carlisle seemed to have slightly regained his composure, and was now looking at me apologetically.

'My, Lazette, I really did not expect you to walk in the door! How are you?'

'Very good, thank you. I heard that you were building a group of vampires to fight the Volturi?' I said, cutting to the chase. Such a gathering was not something to beat about the bush with.

'Come through with us, dear. We have much to discuss.' Esme said quietly.

Once we were in the relative privacy of the kitchen (privacy in a house full of vampires is the same as striped paint.) Carlisle turned to me.

'Tell me what's happening,' I said. 'I know very well that something isn't right here, my stomach is cramping about a mile a minute.'

'An awful lot has happened since we… parted, Lazette,' I winced at his choice of words. 'I trained to be a doctor, but was extremely lonely in my existence. When the Spanish influenza pandemic hit, I was working in a hospital in Chicago. I was looking after a mother and son, both of whom were in a critical state. The mother died before her son, but her last words to me were 'save him.' I knew at that moment that I couldn't let her son die.

So, late one night when most nurses were home, I took the boy, and ran him to my home. He was dying, so I changed him. Edward was the first.' he said.

'Did he stay with you? Is he here?' I said.

'That is part of the story.' Carlisle said.

'Oh, sorry. Please carry on.'

'A few years later, I was working in Ohio, and I came across Esme. She had fallen from a cliff, and had been taken directly to the morgue, her injuries were so bad. She was the second.' he continued.

'Thank god you did.' Esme said, smiling, and kissed Carlisle. It was a strange sight, seeing my first lover in the arms of another woman.

'Anyway,' Carlisle said. 'Rosalie was the third. Esme, Edward and I were living in Rochester, New York, posing as husband and wife, Edward as Esme's brother. I found her on the street, after she was beaten, raped and left for dead by a group of men, led by her then fiancée.'

'My god,' I said.'

'None of our stories have happy endings.' Carlisle stated. 'Emmett was the last. Rosalie found him when she was hunting. He had been attacked by a bear, and Rosalie carried him many miles back to our house, where I changed him.' he said.

'Amazing. And you all live here?' I asked, astonished.

'Yes, although we move every few years. However, we have been here for longer than usual.' Esme said.

'Edward was the only one in our family not to have a mate for a very long time,' Carlisle explained. 'Two years ago, however, he met Bella. Bella was a human, and for some reason Edward couldn't read her mind. Due to this, Bella worked out very quickly what we were, and before we had a chance to leave her and Edward were inseparable. The love they held for one another was greater than I had ever seen between two humans, and almost rivaled Rosalie and Emmett's relationship. Finally Edward was happy.

Then on Bella's eighteenth birthday, there was an accident. Edward felt that we were putting her in danger, and stupidly I let him convince me that the best thing to do was to leave. God help me, I nearly lost two children in the process.' Carlisle looked so sad; Esme gave him a reassuring hug.

'After Edward and Bella were reunited, we moved back and it soon became obvious that they were not willing to live apart from one another. Bella wanted to be changed, but Edward was adamant that she shouldn't- he believed that being changed was the act to steal ones soul. Eventually the struck a deal- Edward would change her if she married him first. We celebrated their wedding earlier this year.'

'This is all very interesting, but I don't see how it links in with why the Volturi are coming to destroy you.' I said.

'Well, I will explain.' Carlisle said. 'On their honeymoon, Edward and Bella consummated their marriage. By some trick of nature, Bella became impregnated with Edwards baby.' I gasped. I had not seen that coming.

'How is that possible?' I breathed.

'We do not know, but quickly they flew back home, Edward with view to destroy the child before it caused Bella any harm. However, Bella, being the stubborn child that she was, refused to give up the foetus.' Carlisle chuckled, but it was a strained sound.

At that moment, two vampires came speeding through the back door, cutting Carlisle short. They stopped abruptly when they saw me.

'Hello,' the woman said, smiling nervously. She had long brown hair, a petite frame, high cheekbones and the orange eyes I was all too familiar with, the eyes of a vampire starting on an animal blood diet. The other vampire, however, had a somewhat different reaction. He growled deeply, and curled himself protectively around the girl.

'Edward?' the girl said, looking at him with great, worried eyes.

'If you are here to break up our family, so help me God I will tear you're head from your neck.' he snarled, looking wild. The girl and Esme gasped. Carlisle just looked at him.

'Edward, this is no business of yours. Lazette is here to help us, so be polite.' he said. The girl looked shocked.

'Uh, Bella why don't you and Edward go and check on Nes- Renesme and Jacob?' Esme said. Carlisle and Edward were still locked in a staring contest.

'Oh, yes ok. Edward. Edward.' Bella said, pulling on Edward's arm. He turned his gaze slowly to her.

'Edward, let's go. Renesme?' she said. Whoever that was seemed to mean something and he followed her, but not before looking at me again. Once they had left, Carlisle turned to me.

'I'm sorry about that; the past two weeks have been painful for him. He obviously saw...something in your mind that upset him. He can read minds,' he explained quickly. Esme looked at Carlisle with a strange expression.

'Explain.' she said simply.

'Lazette and I met long before I changed Edward. We were both in Ireland during the late six hundreds, and took great solace in the fact that there was another one of our kind near.' Carlisle said, quietly. It was strange to hear the memory I had only ever recalled to myself told from a different perspective.

'We had a relationship for a while, but unfortunately Lazette had to leave for personal reasons.' He concluded. Esme was neutral. Suddenly, I heard someone calling.

'Doc? You here? Its six.' the voice said. Carlisle looked over his shoulder.

'Go,' Esme urged.

Once Carlisle had left, Esme turned to me.

'How old were you when you were changed?' she asked me.

'15,' I replied. She froze, and closed her eyes. It was a good two minutes before she opens them again.

'I'm sorry for that, Lazette. Please forgive me, I have only known proper love from Carlisle, so to learn of this relationship you had is a little strange.' she said.

'Please,' I said, 'I am here to help. I completely understand your feeling, but you have no need to worry. I have a soul mate like you. His name is Damien, and if I learnt that another woman had been his lover before I was created, I would have very mixed emotions.' I took her hand, and looked her in the eyes.

'I loved Carlisle, but I can tell that the love you harbour for him is miles beyond what I ever felt. I was a twenty year old girl: lonely, frightened, and more than a little lusty. I love Damien more than anything in the world; I would die if it meant that he would live.' I said. She visibly relaxed.

'Now please,' I said, 'finish the story as to why you are planning to fight the Volturi.'

A/N: Right. So I have now put four chapters on here, and I know for a fact that people are reading this story. I really would appreciate reviews, I put another story on the other day and it got two reviews within the first day: I don't know if its because it is better or what but please, I won't know how to change it if its awful unless you guys tell me. It does mean a lot; so do please let me know- just a three-word message is all I'm looking for. Thanks everyone. xx