Revelations

A/N: I'd been meaning to edit this again and update tomorrow, since 'big reveal' chapter's often come across in a very stilted, childish manner and I really want to avoid that. However since I'm subscribed to enough stories that if each only updated once a month I should still get two updates a day and I haven't had any for 48 hours, I decided that I'd update instead.

Also, this chapter got so long that I decided to split it in half. Which means that the next chapter is written. Yay!

EmPOV

Jasper's 'vampire' had a pulse.

********

"Who are you?" asked Carlisle, firmly but not unkindly. That man had more self control than anyone on earth.

Our captive refused to answer, turning his face to the side and keeping his mouth firmly closed. I had to respect that, I didn't want to – he'd kidnapped someone important to my family – but I did regardless. He didn't have a hope against us, it was ten to one, yet he still refused to give up what he knew.

He sat cross legged on the sure, the rest of us encircling him, making sure there was nowhere to run.

Edward opened his mouth to give over the required information, but Carlisle held up a hand to silence him. Clearly he wanted the information from our captive himself.

I was impressed at how collected our 'father' was. Tanya and her sisters were still gaping at our prisoner as if he had a second head. I couldn't really blame them. After all, they didn't know about Bella.

Carlisle laid a hand on the man's shoulder, "Please, we mean you no harm - " Jasper snorted "-we just want to help our friends"

He shifted uncomfortably and I could see the blood rush to his face despite his dark complexion. Jasper turned, a puzzled expression written on his features, it was the first time he'd stopped glaring since we'd taken our prisoner. I began to consider the possibility that the man felt guilty...not what I was expecting of a kidnapper.

"Please," Carlisle whispered yet again, "lets just start with something simple. Whats your name? Telling us your name can't hurt,"

At first I thought he wasn't going to answer, but after a moment he hissed and whispered "Nahuel"

Carlisle smiled, "A pleasure to meet you Nahuel, I wish it were under more ideal circumstances. My name is Carlisle. This is my wife Esme, our sons Emmett, Jasper and Edward, our daughters Rosalie and Alice as well as our cousins Tanya, Irina and Kate" he pointed out each of us as he went, "A little while ago, you and several others were in pursuit of two of our friends, we'd like to know why"

Nahuel shook his head, pursing his lips tighter.

"Perhaps a different question," suggested Edward, "why would an otherwise descent individual like yourself involve himself in kidnapping and extortion?"

He grimaced, "Because I have to. Because if I don't, my entire species will be wiped from the planet"

"Who would do such a thing?" gasped Esme.

I rolled my eyes and answered in synch with Nahuel and my siblings "The Volturi."

"But why?" demanded Edward. His face contorted with anger and confusion immediately, but he waited for Nahuel to answer none the less. No use in giving away all our secrets.

"Because we're new and different and they don't understand us. We've been around for hundreds of years and kept the secret all this time but they still think we're too big a risk to keep around. We have to fight for our survival."

"But that doesn't make any sense" argued Edward and I could see the others nodding in agreement.

"Why not"

Edward glanced at the Denali sisters and then at Carlisle, as if asking permission. Our patriarch nodded and he continued, "Because they have a vampire hybrid amongst their own. Bella," he winced as he said her name "Aro's daughter"

Nahuel's mouth fell open in shock while Tanya and her sisters glared accusingly at Carlisle. That was a conversation I was definitely not looking forward to.

Our hybrid friend narrowed his eyes, "I don't believe you,"

"It true!" insisted Alice, "Her name is Bella, she's six years old. The last time anyone in our family saw her, she was five and she looked to be about sixteen. She's extremely intelligent for her age, her skin glitters slightly in the sunlight, but not nearly so much as ours. Her body runs on blood and she has a heart beat, she can survive of blood or human food, but she hasn't drunk blood in years because of the moral implications. Her favourite food is chocolate. Her skin is warm and her eyes are chocolate brown"

"Alternatively we could just ask you how we knew what you were without you having to tell us" I suggested.

He looked very thoughtful after that.

Carlisle placed a hand on the hybrid's shoulder, "It seems that there's been a misunderstanding, perhaps we should start at the top. Who told you that the Volturi wanted you exterminated?"

**************

His name was Nahuel and he was one hundred years old. He had been born in South America and, unlike Bella, he was venomous. He had changed his aunt while still an infant and they had lived together until his maturity. When his father came looking for him, he had rejected the opportunity to join him. Until recently.

In the year of 1948, his father Joham had returned, warning him that the Volturi had found out about their kind and were soon to commence extermination of the hybrids. He had no choice but to join with Joham and his allies or be exterminated.

The alliance consisted of Joham's children, the Romanians and their forces, two of the covens of southern USA and Mexico. They planned to take down the Volturi; The Romanians would take over their rule, the hybrids would be allowed to live and the two southern covens would divide the territory of central America between them. Supported by the Romanians, it was believed that this would bring an end to the southern vampire wars for good.

"But whats that got to do with Peter and Charlotte?" I wondered.

"Or Alice and Jasper for that matter," added Tanya.

"Scapegoats" was the shamed reply.

"Scapegoats?"

Nahuel nodded. "No matter how great a force we amass, the Volturi will be at an advantage. So we came up with a strategy; divide and conquer. Even as we speak, the last of Maria" Jasper hissed "and Jacinta's newborn armies will be awakening from their change. In the next 24 hours they will be set loose on each other and the Volturi will be forced to act, we have intelligence that they have already become suspicious of goings on in the area. 45 hours after this war begins, the youngest members of my family, bred specific for this task, will create havoc in north-central Europe. With any luck, by the time word reaches Volterra of a supposed attack of several immortal children on Germany and Poland they will have already dispatched a task force to deal with the newborns. They will be forced to either split their forces or leave the safety of Volterra. The Romanians will be waiting in Greece with Jacinta and Maria's covens and the rest of my family to trap the Volturi whichever decision they make."

"And the scapegoats?"prompted Rosalie.

"No vampire would volunteer to be there when the newborns are unleashed on each other, this will be the most noticeable battle in history, but we need to make sure that no one decides to tip the Volturi off before our armies are in place," he shrugged, "I suppose I've stuffed that up now, you'll be off to warn them as soon as your done with me I'm sure." He sighed, "both Newborn armies will be told that your friends and the adventurer we captured are the leaders of the opposing the coven. It will be the Newborn's highest priority to take out the leaders. With so many newborns, they won't stand a chance. When the Volturi come to call, all they'll see is a single army that got out of control and killed their masters. They won't think to phone the Volturi and tip them off."

"Your calculations are based on the times it would take to physically reach Volterra" mused Jasper, "You aren't concerned that the any nomad messengers mightn't call the Volturi themselves? Or us? We do have access to a phone you know."

"Yes, we've thought of that," agreed Nahuel "But Aro is always unwilling to dispatch troops without...reviewing the evidence for himself first*. Besides, we have phone access to. We can always bring the times forward"

Jasper nodded and Tanya stepped forward, "How did you plan all this? How did your covens make contact with each other?"

"A vampire named Illie. One of the Romanian subordinates. He bumped into my father while Joham was in Europe. Illie has a contact in the Volturi and when he found out that the Volturi were going to exterminate us he made contact with Joham again. Once that alliance was forged, he traveled to Southern USA and Mexico to renew a long standing alliance with the two afore mentioned covens...."

He trailed off as everyone's attention was diverted to Edward. He'd had his head in his hands for most of Nahuel's explanation and had been becoming more and more distressed as time went on."

"What's up bro?" I asked.

"Bella," he whispered, "They're going to destroy the Volturi. They're going to kill Bella"

Please let me know how that went.

*this is an assumption based on the fact that Irina actually physically went to Volterra rather than phoning the Volturi to inform them of Rennesmee.