Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, if I did, I would have more time to spend writing.

Come what may

Chapter 11

Edward's POV

Where was he?

Trying to remain calm while my family was being pulled in so many different directions was nearly impossible, but I forced myself to go through the motions. If word got around that Matthew was at Large with no protection, he might be in very real danger.

I kept as calm as possible, sure that aside from Masen, only my mate and family would pick up on how I really might be feeling, especially Jasper, he would sense my worry as if it were his own. I glanced his way, and sure enough he was casting subtle glances my way every few moments.

I would have to let Bella know, but it would need to be done in a manner that didn't let the rest of those around us in on the situation. I tried my best to do what Masen was doing, and focused on Marcus and the plans he was trying to make for the newly bonded couple,

The idea of Emma finding her mate did not bother me as it bothered Masen. I had spent over a hundred years witnessing couples interact in both physical and mental moments of love. I knew this was reality for a vampire, and while I was happy that my daughter had found her mate so quickly, and that she would not have to suffer through years of loneliness, I had no intentions of discovering the finer details of their couplings.

I pulled Bella closer to my side and she turned her head towards me,

"That only leaves us with two children who have yet to find their mates, Masen and Matthew." She said emphasizing Matthew's name with an intense squeeze of her hand. I looked into her wide eyes and nodded, knowing that she was letting me in on the fact that she knew he was not accounted for, but then my mate had always shown exceptional observation skills.

Her outward appearance was far calmer than mine, she was smiling and nodding as she took in the details Marcus was busy relaying to those who needed to prepare rooms for the new couple, and with a clap of his hands he sent them off to ready a chamber for Emma and Alec.

That dealt with, Marcus waved his hands and gestured for the crowd to make their way inside. I nodded and followed along with plans to try and slip away to find our son before his absence was noted.

Matthew's POV

I ran my eyes over the patterns created by the fissures in the old stones, glancing from the lines that resembled tree branches having grown out of control, to the uniform and almost flawless surface of the stonework that had been restored. The difference was astounding, and yet even though I knew that the stone was renovated or repaired since the wall I leaned against had crumbled, even my keen eyes were unable to detect which section of stone was the oldest.

I would theorize that the wall that had crumbled into pieces was older, but I could not be sure. How had it been done? Did she know who had done it, or perhaps she had just stumbled upon the repaired area and had wisely chosen it as her dwelling place? Did she understand its historical significance?

"Please leave." Her voice whispered from inside the thick doorway. Once again her words were softly spoken as if she was trying to pretend she did not exist at all.

"No thank you." I replied as softly. "I am afraid that you have been badly informed about the state of Volterra. Aro is dead." I said emphatically before I continued, "He has been for over ten years. I am not sure how long you have been hiding here, but you need to know the city is no longer the same.

"You lie," I heard her hiss from the other side of the door. "Aro has an army that surrounds him, who on this earth could stop him and his brothers from terrorizing the city, the world even?" She lamented, her voice sounding dejected.

"My sister, my brother and I, that's who, when we were just infants." I clarified.

I was greeted with silence, and took that as an opportunity to continue.

"We have just arrived back at the city where Marcus waits to help us begin a time of great peace. We are here to fulfill a prophecy."

"You mock me?" Came a stilted response from within the stone walls.

"I am not trying to mock you", I explained quickly. "Aro is truly dead, as is Caius and most of the Volturi that helped them rule. Marcus helped my family overthrow them. We are here to help change the way that vampires and humans interact, my family does not even feed on humans, we feed on animals-"

My words broke off as the door cracked open the smallest amount, I still could not se anything, but it was easier to hear her melodic voice, and her sensual aroma flooded slowly into the now stuffy passage way, causing me to inhale greedily.

"Impossible…how do I know if you speak the truth?"

"My eyes would show you the truth, surely you can smell that I am different, hear that I have a heartbeat? Smell that I do not smell the same as those you fear? I am half human. My siblings are as well. Our eyes retain our human coloring. But if you ever saw my family you would know as their eyes are golden, not crimson as those who feed on humans have." I tried to explain.

"Won't you come out…please? At least look for yourself to see if I am speaking the truth, surely even now you can hear my heart pounding within my chest?" I added trying to convince her.

"Vampires cannot have children," She whispered, her voice sounding strangled.

"Vampire women can't, but Vampire males can father children to human women, or so it would appear. My father and mother have three children, after the last my father turned my mother because when she carried me the venom in my body endangered her life and he loved her too much to lose her. Now they are together forever." I exclaimed, rather enjoying telling the romantic tale of my parents.

"I'm telling the truth…really. At least open the door and look for yourself. See my face; see that I am not like other vampires. Let me prove it to you." I pled trying to convince her to give me a chance.

The door didn't move but I heard a new sound emerge, a soft noise that sounded like muffled sobbing. I took the chance and nudged the door with my foot, and it eased wide open without a sound.

There she was sitting on the immaculate floor. Her small frame was curled in on itself as a child might do when they were over come with grief or emotions. Wavy light brown tresses obscured her features and I gently inched to her side and brushed them away to reveal a feminine face, eyes scrunched tightly shut. Her pink lips were pressed so tightly together that they were a thin line of color against her pale skin.

"Please talk to me…look at me…?" I said breaking off my words as I reached to try and help her right herself. AS I moved to help her, she seemed to still and then pushed herself off the ground. She reached to brush hair that had fallen into her face away and tucking it behind her ear before turning in my direction.

"I already know that you're telling the truth." She said, looking at her lap.

"How can you be so sure if you won't even look at me?" I asked, trying to lighten her mood.

The chuckle I tried to utter fell flat on my lips as she raised her gaze to meet mine. Her golden gaze boring into mine, their shining depths filled with venomous tears that I knew from experience would never fall from the long lashes that framed her eyes.

"I know because the vampires that feed from humans would never bother to mention those that feed from animals…it is beneath them." She whispered.

"What's your name?" I asked gently, not wanting to push her too quickly.

"Genevieve." She said softly, sitting up a bit straighter, causing the hair on her head to fall back, it was so long that it reached the ground and fell in soft waves against the stone.

"Genevieve…how long have you been down here?" I asked softly, m hands still out to help her, frozen in mid air.

"I stopped counting after a few hundred years, but I lived in this city when the Volturi first came here…in fact I was one of those that built these catacombs." She gestured around her with one small hand at the stones surrounding us.

"Hmm…. That's a very long time, Genevieve." I said in awe, my mind running a mind a minute. "A very long time indeed."

She shrugged her shoulders.

Now how was I going to get her to come with me back to the palace? Could I get her to tell me about how she came to be here all alone? How could I explain to her who I was?

But most importantly when would I see Masen and be able to tell him that he was the only one of us left that had not found their mate, because looking at her, feeling the overwhelming feelings that rushed through me, the need to be gentle, patient and slow. The all consuming urge to stay here with her, forever if need be, told me that I too had found the person meant to be with me forever.