Chapter 20

Nessie's POV

Surprise Visitors

My eyes go wide, but I recover quickly, happy to welcome any help at the moment. "Vladimir, Stefan. Welcome. Please, come in."

"That's not necessary, young one. We're merely alerting you and your… friends," The wolves, I think, they mean the wolves. "To our presence."

"Well, at least come in and explain what you mean." Carmen says softly.

They step into the house and close the door gently.

"We aren't much for large gatherings." Stefan begins, with Vladimir finishing. "We will stand with you, however, when the time comes."

"I see," I say in understanding. "You're only going to join us for the-"

"For the fight." Vladimir says with a smile.

"There is no guarantee of a fight." I assure them, though I am no longer sure of this fact. The longer I mull it over the more likely a fight seems.

"We understand this, though it would appear that the more often the Volturi make an appearance the more likely it is that a fight will ensue."

"If you say so." I shrug, not wanting to get into an argument with the two Romanian vampires.

"You may alert Carlisle, though you know we have no intentions of harm toward you and your friends here."

This, I do understand. We are they're best chance at overcoming the Volturi. Though the odds are slight, I get the feeling they don't really care. They seem indifferent to dying at this point. I can't imagine living without Jacob, so I can understand how they feel.

"Alright. I will let Carlisle know. Thank you for volunteering to help us. Though, I am curious, how did you hear about this?"

"Carlisle has many friends, and vampire news travels fast."

This doesn't really explain why Vladimir and Stefan always know when the Volturi decide to make a move against us. I conjure up a picture and toss it into their minds.

For an instant they're both frozen in shock, though Stefan answers my unspoken question. "Yes."

I nod. It is as I had thought. The two Romanians have at least one insider who's favored by the Volturi. Essentially, they have a spy.

They both seem surprised, that it was my talent that had just been used, but they make the connection fast.

"Your talent has developed impressively." Vladimir says, smiling ever so slightly. "It's surprisingly vivid, though two dimensional." Stefan continues.

I nod. "Thank you. Feel free to stay in the nearby area, though as before it is imperative you don't hunt nearby."

"Of course." Vladimir assures me. "We fed along the way. We will not hunt in your range. Do not worry. We are only here to stand against the Volturi, not cause problems for you here."

"I appreciate that." I say with a small smile. I can understand why my mother, and even Jacob find them creepy. They are unusual, but for whatever reason I've always found them fascinating.

They turn to leave, before stopping abruptly. "Would you like us to speak to Carlisle?"

"That's not necessary. I will tell everyone." I say tapping my temple ever so slightly. They smile in understanding, just a little.

"Ah. Alright then, see you soon."

I chuckle lightly. "See you soon."

They both leave, and using my talent, I quickly send a message out to Carlisle, Rosalie, Alice, and my mother. One vampire in each pair. I assume that they've gotten the message, and over the next few hours my assumption is confirmed in a series of texts.

Rosalie: Emmet says sweet. He loves that they creep the wolves out.

Carlisle: As long as they know the hunting restrictions we'll welcome anyone.

Alice: We already knew that. But they weren't the only ones I saw.

And finally my mother: Oh joy. Who told the Dracula's?

I can't help but smile at that one. It sounds so much like something Jacob would say. Though I can't help but thinking about the answer to my mother's question.

If the Romanians really do have a 'spy', so to speak, that alerts them to the Volturi's moves, wouldn't he or she be in constant danger from Aro? Couldn't he see the individual's real motives? Who knows.

I abandon that train of thought for the time being, and I decide to look at the clock. It's only 8:25. I've managed to pass a little time working on some more color mixing in the garage, but not much.

It's been relatively uneventful, other than me changing clothes, because I didn't want to get paint on my dress. I only changed into a white tank top and a long sleeve plaid shirt over top. It's something simple that I don't really have to worry about getting paint on.

I go back to working-which is actually kind of hard when I'm trying to move around all the cars in our garage.

I'm almost totally zoned out when I hear Kate calling my name.

"Nessie! You're phone's ringing."

I run into the house and snatch my phone off the counter. A quick glance at my phone tells me it's Alice, so I don't hesitate to answer.

"What is it, Alice?"

"The wolves. You've got to stop them."

I'm already heading to the doors at a full run.

"Stop them from doing what Alice?"

"The vampire. He's on our side." I can tell by her voice that she's living in a vision; she's not totally with me right now.

"What vampire? Alice?"

"Keep going Nessie. I can't… I can't see."

I'm following Jake's scent as best I can but it's not an exact science. And even at my full speed the wolves are faster. I can hear Tanya and the Denali's beside me-asking questions, but only faintly. I'm focused on Alice, and finding Jake.

"Alice what can't you see?"

"I can't see the outcome… the wolves. They're not letting him…"

"Who Alice?"

"The vampire!"

"Which vampire?"

"I don't know his name! He's trying to help though. Stop them!"

Yeah, I need more information!

"Nessie! Do something!"

"Hold on a second." I'm still running when I send my thoughts whirling toward Jacob. It's clear what I mean, STOP!

"Alice, I'm doing the best that I can here."

"I still can't… wait! No! Ahh! I still can't see properly."

"Jasper? Do you know what's going on?"

"I'm not sure Renesmee." At least he's answering me. "Alice can't see right, and she called you as soon as her vision started."

"Nessie!" I sigh, it's Alice again.

"I'm going Alice! I can only run so fast. I already told them to stop."

"But I still can't see straight!"

"Sorry!"

"Renesmee what's going on?" Carmen-along with the rest of the Denali clan members-is confused.

"I'm not sure at the moment." I tell her honestly. "I think we have an unexpected visitor."

"Oh." Everyone seems shocked.

"They're trying to help!" Alice says, quite loudly, into the phone.

"Chill Alice, we're almost to the wolves."

"Then why can't I see?"

"I don't know! It's your talent not mine."

She makes a 'huffing' noise into the phone. "Hurry Nessie."

"I am!" Just then I see a patch of amber (or russet, as my mother would call it) fur through the trees. "Jacob!" It takes him a minute to stop running.

"Jacob," I say again, bursting through the trees till I'm right in front of the giant wolf that is Jake. "I'm not sure what's going on, exactly, but Alice says stop. They're on our side. Whoever they are…"

I can see the question in his eyes, and I can't answer him. "I don't know. Alice just called. She's freaking out, just stop them!"

Jake ducks his head once, a nod, and dashes into the forest. All the vampires, including myself, follow him.

It takes a few minutes for us to reach the first wolf. It's Embry, I think.

He's standing under a tree, growling menacingly. Jacob lets loose a bark that's laced with command. It takes me a second to realize what's going on. There's three wolves on patrol. It's Leah, Embry and Jake, who I'm hoping have had a full night's sleep, and they have a vampire-I think-treed.

All the sudden a wave of sickness washes over me so strongly that I can no longer remain standing. This feeling of disgust is strong enough to affect my train of thought briefly, and thanks to that I don't notice that Tanya, Garrett, Kate, Eleazar, and Carmen have fallen to the ground as well.

This must be the vampire in the tree. I tilt my head up, looking for the vampire responsible for this revulsion only to feel the disgust wash over me once again. It would appear that this talent it very strong, and very physical. That means my mother's shield couldn't block it out. At this thought a wave of fear runs through me. It's evident that this vampire isn't someone we'd want as an enemy. He has us all incapacitated at once.

A chorus of growls rip through the atmosphere and I'm reminded that Jacob, and more than half his pack are in the forest as well. I jerk my head up, searching for Jacob. My eyes find him easily, and I see that the he seems unaffected by this sickness that's plaguing the rest of us.

Not only do I find that odd, I also find it odd that I'm affected if they're not. Confused, I glance at the other vampires near me, and I see that they're obviously worse off than I am. This perplexes me, and I look toward the other wolves, only to find that this repulsive force is affecting them too.

As soon as the thought occurs to me I know that this talent it powerful and I know that I am one of the only people that can talk us out of it. Everyone else is either too affected, or in their wolf form, and therefore lacking a human mouth.

"Wait!" I choke out, stopping the vampire-I hope, before he can run off. "Please, wait. We don't want to hurt you." I can hear it (he? She?) moving in the tree.

"Alice?" I whisper, attempting to think around the consuming illness.

"I still can't see right. What's going on?"

"Who is this?"

"I can't tell. I just know he's a friend."

"He's not acting like a friend." I say bitterly.

"What's going on Renesmee?" Jasper has taken the phone and his voice cuts like razor blades.

"Talented." I manage. "Very powerful. We're all-" I think about standing up, then reconsider, remembering the vampire in the tree, only to fall to the ground again. I can't even think about our visitor without feeling the sickness return just as strong as before. "Sick." I just manage to finish the sentence for Jasper.

"Try to talk to them." Alice suggests.

"Easier said than done." I spit out, not even bothering to sound sarcastic.

"Listen. We know you're talented! We're not going to attack you. Just please, stop!"

As quickly as it started the sickness disappears. I straighten up, standing at my full height. "Thank you." I say, smiling at the vampire, who I can now look at, in the tree.

He's tall, with curly blonde hair. He's muscular, and surprisingly good-looking, even more so than most vampires.

A quick glance at my friends tells me that this vampire has only made an exception for me. They're all still feeling the brunt of his impressive talent.

"Hi." I say, smiling a little at this person, who I am hoping proves to be a friend. "My name is Renesmee, but my friends tend to call me Nessie. I'm a little different than most vampires, though I think you figured that out already. I'd love to explain all of this, but… would you mind not making my friends sick?"

He shifts uncomfortably in the tree, and it's then that I know he will be a friend. He's nothing like Jane, he's not sadistic, and he takes no pleasure in using his talent. It's purely defensive.

"I don't want to have to use my power on them." He allows. "I just don't know if I can trust them."

"But you trust me?" I say softly.

He nods. "You don't seem threatening."

"How do you know I don't have a talent."

"I don't. You just seem… different."

"I am." I allow. "But I do have a talent too, you know." I smile a little. "Listen, I understand why you're weary. We're an intimidating bunch, but these wolves," I gesture at Jake, Leah, and Embry. "Are really a handful of adolescents, and the vampires behind me, and myself, don't even drink human blood. We really don't like killing people, so I assure you we're of no threat to you."

The visitor looks me in the eye, judging my honesty I presume.

"Really, we're not usually like this. I can explain everything, if you'll just give me the chance."

"I can trust you?" He seems weary, but also a little sad.

"One hundred percent." I tell him honestly.

"Alright then."

Suddenly all five vampires on the ground are standing beside me, all crouched in defensive positions, as well as the three angry wolves.

I know that at the moment the wolves are the biggest problem.

"Jacob! Stop. He's a friend." Jake locks eyes with me, and I can almost hear him commanding Embry and Leah to stand down. They fall silent, though they're body language shows mistrust.

The Denali's, overhearing what I'm saying to the wolves, straighten out of their defensive crouch.

"If you want, we can go back to the house and explain." I say looking toward the nameless vampire in the tree.

He nods, and eyes the people still surrounding the tree.

I look around at my friends, and hiss, "Back off guys, I've got this."

Oooh! Duh duh duuuuh! Now, the real question is, how many of my twi-hard fans actually know who our nameless visitor is? If you really do know who he is PM me, but please don't put it in your review and spoil the surprise! I want those of you who don't know to remain that way until I update. It's only fair! I mean if you know who he is it's because you know twilight REALLY well, and if you don't you're about to learn about another really interesting character in the series that I really really like. He's going to be a new addition in my story, so I hope you like him so far, and his unique talent.

I hope you like it and I plan on updating really soon.

Thanks,

R&R