Come What May

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Twilight, t is all the property of S.M…lucky girl!

Special thanks goes out to Jennifer V, for editing the original Unexpected awakenings. As this sequel takes off I will be uploading the chapters she has painstakingly repaired of all flaws, she is amazing!

(This chapter has not been beta'd…so don't judge me too harshly.)

My mother in law has been here for a whole week, but now that she is gone I am free to write

Chapter 1

Edward's POV

"So soon?" I asked softly, wanting to reaffirm that I had not misinterpreted Bella's words, for they seemed like blasphemy. The very idea of taking our children to the other side of the world, to uproot them from the place they had grown up strong, safe, and surrounded by family to thrust them into a world unknown to them…a world unknown to us.

I felt her nod her head against my chest where she had lain it the moment I had returned from my journey as she wrapped her arms firmly around me.

"Marcus said before the change of the seasons would be best. Many of the current guards are itching for their chance to go out and explore the new world, free of the shackles the old Volturi had kept them reigned in by. They have only stayed out of dedication to changing things for the better…but the children, they're grown now…" Bella said trailing off as she watched our children interact with our family in the light of the afternoon, the sun shimmer wildly off of their flesh. Her voice was whisper soft, as if she felt that by saying the words she was willing them into action. I felt her face turn in against my chest, rubbing into my skin as if she wished she could crawl into my very flesh.

I reached for her chin and as I caressed it with my finger to lift her face into my view I could feel that her lower lip was pushed out as she frowned in distress.

"Let me in?" I whispered as her eyes rose up to meet mine, their molten depths reaching forward to pull me in, making me very willing to drown in their endless pools of warmth.

I felt her mental walls fall away at once, and pleasure shot through me as it always did when she invited me in to the privacy of her psyche.

I'm afraid….

She told me wordlessly, her thoughts showing faceless beings in dark cloaks as she tried to imagine the lives that awaited our children.

What if after all of this, all of our choices and planning have been leading to an impossible vision of the future?

I knew she referred to some of the glimpses Alice had seen of the future, they had been vague, but some had held burst of color and excitement, while others stayed shrouded in mystery.

I ran a finger lovingly up along the gentle curve of her jaw, up to her temple where I swept a wayward piece of hair back into place behind her ear. Her teeth began to worry her luscious lower lip as they often did when she was deep in thought or anxious.

"Alice can only see the possibilities based on the choices we, or others, make. There are too many possibilities to know for sure, too many others…the probabilities are endless." I chastised, feeling no less uncertain than she was. "It is a future we have always anticipated, the children have been looking forward to it." I said nodding at our three progeny as they laughed carelessly. "Even if we have been dreading it."

"So that is it…we tell them, let them know the time they have waited for is now?" Bella whispered as softly as possible to keep the words between us.

I nodded.

"They are grown and wiser than they seem, I believe they will be excited for the adventure they see the future providing." I countered.

I felt Bella sigh deeply beside me, her small frame ensconced in my arms.

"I simply hope they don't feel annoyed when they realize that there is no way I am letting them go without us going with them." I said stubbornly, smiling slightly as I felt Bella take pause as she registered my words. I knew she had hemmed and hawed about going to Volterra without children, wanting to go, but feeling that she should let them leave freely when Emmett teased her about being unable to allow them to grow up. She could not keep her hearts desires from me.

The smile the spread across her features, altering them from the portrait of grief and sadness to such an intense expression of gladness was the proof of my assessment. We would go with the children to see them into their new lives, brotherly judgment be damned.

"You're sure?" Bella asked, her eyes glittering with venomous tears that would never fall.

"Never surer!" I said leaning down to kiss her firmly on the soft petals of her lips.

"Now , I suppose it is time to call for a family meeting to set the future into place." I said decidedly.

"It's about time!" I heard Alice mutter from deep in the recesses of the house, her clairvoyant mind having been granted a vision of my decision before I could even share it with our offspring. I felt Bella giggle against my chest and with that I called out loudly enough that I knew I would be heard.

"Emma! Matthew…Masen! Please come into the house…we need to have a family meeting." I saw the immediate response from our children. While Rose glanced our way momentarily, and Emmett grumbles on about my interrupting what he deemed the 'match of the century" where he planned to regain his honor from our sons in the hopes of earning some entirely inappropriate time with his wife, a camera and a deluge of women's lingerie, Emma and her brother's intently tried to scan our faces, their minds actively searching for clues for this unplanned congregation of our family.

I wrapped my arms more firmly around their mother as they streaked towards the house, shaking my head to let them know that like everyone else they would have to wait for the full disclosure of what was going on once everyone was ready.

Walking into the house I was not surprised to see that Jasper, Alice and our parents were already seated at the large mahogany table. The rush of footsteps behind me foretold the arrival of the rest of the family as fluidly, everyone slipped into a seat. The dining room looked as if it was ready for a family feast, yet no food would ever be served here.

Carlisle sat at one end of the table, leaving the head seat for me to occupy. I released Bella from my arms, letting her body slip from my grasp, but not willing to release her entirely, and grasping her hand firmly in mine as she took the seat closest to my right. Looking up I could see the children glance warily at me, Emma's perceptive eyes glancing from my face to Bella's.

"We asked everyone to this meeting as Bella received a call from Marcus this afternoon…" I began trailing off to watch the reaction their faces would display to my words. The intense look of Jasper's gaze reflected that of his thoughts.

I can only imagine what he had to say. He internally drawled.

I turned back to the others before continuing.

"He feels that the time has come for Emma, Masen and Matthew to leave for Volterra."

I duly noted the excited looks that passed over my children's countenances as they clasped their hands and thumped the table, while also noting the more trepidatious expressions of my siblings and parents.

"I can't wait to pack!" Emma said excitedly glancing at Alice, Alice smiled back at her niece, her thoughts filled with love for the young vampire woman, yes I also could hear the hesitant tone of her inner musings.

The children were off on a tangent about what they would do when they got there, and what they wanted to see, totally unaware of their silent spectators.

"Uncle Marcus is going to have to show me everything, the city, the history." Matthew said with a grin to Masen as Masen planned what he would leave and what he would take.

"Don't forget the women!" Emmett interjected. "And if you two are anything like your dad there be sure to see if the Voturi have created a vampire proof condom, and don't forget to double wrap it before the Cullen super sperm take the country by storm…I can just see it on Maury…my vampire-baby daddy-" He exclaimed in a falsetto voice before Rosalie elbowed him in the side, promptly cutting off his tirade.

"Ow!" Emmett complained rubbing his side as he glanced at his wife. "What was that for?"

"If you haven't figured it out, then I am not going to be the one to explain it to you," Rose said with a sigh, causing me to smile at her frustration.

"You don't like Maury, then how about Jerry Springer, but we won't go to watch it live, I don't want anyone seeing you boobs, they are for me and me alone, even if we get a prize..." He groused as he folded his arms across the broad expanse of his chest. Rosalie rolled her eyes and slumped forward, allowing her head to bang loudly into the table. Bella chuckled at my side as she watched our two sons stare wide eyed at their uncle.

"Back to the topic at hand!" I growled, "It is important that you remember that this is not about having a vacation, or an adventure. The understanding is that you are going to be there to help the people, to govern all vampire-dom. Are you ready for that?" I asked curiously, worried that their youthful exuberance would fill them will false bravado when they should be taking things more seriously.

"I'm as ready as I will ever be." Emma responded quickly, glancing at me with glittering eyes. "Today, tomorrow or next year, it makes no difference. I won't know what I can do until I am there and begin to do it, it is not really something you can prepare for, now is it father?'

Her mature outlook struck me, helping to stay the worry I felt about their nonchalant attitude at the trip.

"It will be something learned a day at a time," Masen added, "Each day a new experience, we are just excited to try our hands at it, to be somewhere new.

"Somewhere where we can be around so many others of our kind." Matthew added with a grin, his thoughts filled with flashes of ancient stone buildings and holiday festivals that he had heard of, but wanted so much to see for himself.

"I am happy to see that you are all thinking about this beyond the fun of something new." I added, "Just realize that there will be things you don't know the answers to, things that are unexpected." I added, cautioning them.

"Things we can only attempt to deal with as they come up, we know it's not going to be a hunt in the woods." Emma said softly.

"Your mother and I know as well, that is why we are coming with you." I replied, Emma's face showed no surprise at my declaration, only a calm expression as she nodded that she understood.

"I told you Bellarina couldn't let them go." Emmett whispered loudly to Jasper who shrugged his shoulders.

"We too, would like to accompany the family to Volterra, if that is acceptable?" Carlisle said gesturing to Esme who nodded emphatically, indicating her agreement with Carlisle's voiced words.

"We would love to have you with us," Matthew said earnestly, smiling around the table,

"Then that settles it," Alice said as she pushed back her chair.

"Settles what?" I asked as she started out of the room.

"Settles that fact that I am going to need a new closet, the shopping in Volterra is to die for!" She said as if I was hopeless, shaking her head as she stalked off to her room with a purpose.

"Well we're not staying here by ourselves!" Rose exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "Emmett come help me pack, we are going to Volterra!"

"Can I pack the crotch-less panties?" Emmett said with a wide grin as he jumped to his feet. Rosalie stopped mid stride and sighed deeply once more before turning around. "You can pack whatever you like as long as it can fit in one bag, I'll pack the rest." Rosalie said arching an eyebrow at him. "Understood?"

"Understood, scouts honor!" Emmett responded holding up his hand. I had to hide the smile that almost slipped out as I overheard his thoughts about finding the largest bag ever made with plans to ship it to Volterra by private jet, sometimes he showed he was far smarter than he let on.

I turned back to the children who still sat patiently at the table.

"I guess that means its time to go pack, we have a family journey to make." The children jumped from their seats and raced off in a blur to get started on preparing for their trip. Carlisle and Esme not far behind ,their thoughts filled with plans to close up the house and to leave their jobs behind.

"That just leaves us." I said softly as Bella and I rose to our feet to join our family in their preparations. "Shall we go pack?" I asked my mate sweetly.

"Only if I can pack some crotch-less panties too!" Bella said with a purr before she raced off to our room, leaving me frozen in place with the distinct impression that Volterra might have more potential than I thought after all.

I finished this up after a 13 hour work day…