0. . .oO•.o. A Promise Unknowingly Kept .o.•Oo. . .0
Warning: This story will contain mild content, themes, and language which some may find offensive. If you have questions let me know.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the me - the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: I know that it has been quite a while but another chapter is here at last! Hope you all enjoy it. Before I leave you all to read, a quick and massive thank you for all your follows/favourites/reviews - keep them coming, they mean loads!; here's Chapter Twenty-One.
0. . .oO•.o. A Promise Unknowingly Kept .o.•Oo. . .0
CHAPTER 21 - Confrontations and Explanations
•~Annabelle Cullen~•
My breathing became increased and shallow. My muscles grew tense as hands clenched into tight balls – a poor attempt to control my anger. If I was still human, I would be able to feel the quickening of my pulse, almost feeling my blood boiling through my veins.
Within the next moment, several things happened at once. Both Daddy and Arla rushed forwards towards me - one trying to figure out what was wrong, the other trying to calm me down. Jasper was doing his best to calm a room full of vampires down, while Javonn was just focusing solely on my emotions, which are currently on haywire. To top it all off, Rosalie and Emmett decide to make themselves present again even after not long leaving.
"Annie! Speak to me, child," Daddy asked hurriedly, his eyes dashing frantically over my face as he pulls me to face him.
"Listen to me, Annie. Don't go doing anything stupid, you hear me? Aro may have had a good reason for not telling you, okay?" Arla tried to reason with me.
Daddy turned his head to Arla, "Didn't tell her what? How do you know Aro?" he demanded.
"Annie knew the whole Volturi before any of us did," Arla told him grudgingly.
During all of this, my anger levels just continued to rise and rise. "Everyone move away from Annie!" a voice I recognised as Javonn's bellowed.
Instantly every person in the room, some reluctantly, obeyed the order given and they all shifted away from me. Next thing I know, Javonn placed a hand firmly on either side of my face. Immediately I realised what he was doing as calming waves of its purest form began to sweep over me. The feeling was utter bliss, easily beating down the battling fury from within me, replacing it with a sense of peace.
"Thank you, Javonn," I sighed, giving him a grateful hug.
"Don't mention it," he replied, returning the hug before pulling away gently and rejoining his mate on the other side of the room.
Daddy slowly approached looking wearily and cautious. "Annie, are you alright, my child?" he asked carefully as soon as he was a few feet away.
My eyes drifted to the far wall briefly before returning them to look at the man before me, "Yes, well calm at least. Sorry you had to see that, Daddy," I said apologetically, the corner of my lips turning upwards to form a small smile.
"Don't be sorry, my child. It is clear that something I had spoken had upset you dearly, that of which I'm still confounded about." Daddy replied, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "How do you know of Aro Volturi, Annie?" he asked, a serious expression taking over his face.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes and lowered my head, avoiding my Daddy's intense gaze. Why would Aro keep something as important as this from me? Did he even know? Of course he did, he must have done. But what I would like, no need to know is why. Why did he keep this from Daddy and me? What were his intentions? What was there to gain from all this?
"Erm, sorry everyone, hey..." Emmett suddenly interrupted, waving a hand at us all, gaining our attention. "...can someone please explain what is going on...please?"
Rosalie gave Emmett a sharp whack to his arm. "Aw, Rose! What was that for?" Emmett asked, clutching his arm as if it really hurt him.
"Listen, you dumbass. Annie was just about to explain that in her own time," Rosalie hissed, fixing him with her glare. I chuckled softly at both their antics.
Blowing out a breath that I didn't realise I was holding, I launched into my tale. "The year after I left my dear friend Katherine, mother to Arla and Niklas here, I decided to visit Italy...Tuscany to be exact," I paused, making a human habit of swallowing nothing but air as sudden nerves began to creep upon me. Sensing my changing emotions, I felt a swift wave of calm my way. "After reading a few fading legends about the town from a library in the small church where I was beforehand, curious as I can be, I took the rather bold approach and walked right up to the city in plain sight of everyone. This...plan of mine, however improvised it may seem now, did work to my advantage though."
A small grin came on to my face, as well as the rest of my family, knowing what part of the tale I'm at now. "As I approached the city walls, only then do Demetri and Felix decide to show themselves in front of me, looking scary as ever," I continue, laying on some of the sarcasm at the end there. That caused some smirks and eyes to roll, especially from Brendon and Ivor. Daddy and his family were sitting on the edge of their seats, appearing to be listening intently; even Emmett was too.
"Once we got past all of the introductions I managed to convince them to take me nicely to their leader," I said.
"Why would you even suggest going with them, did you actually have a death wish, Annie?" Emmett asked incredulously.
Turning my head slowly in his direction, I just studied his expression for a moment. He sounded protective just then, even though it was many years ago, he still sounded concerned. Daddy looks the same too, only Emmett voiced his similar thoughts. Emmett, in a way, has the natural sense of an older brother, a role that has never been filled in my life.
"I knew I would have been fine, Emmett, and besides, I know how to take care of myself." I said, justifying my reasons for the decision I made long ago.
"You against two of the best Volturi guards," He said sceptically.
Obviously I'm not going to convince him this way I turned to Jasper, "Jasper, would you attack me, if you had to, instantly?" I asked.
His eyes widened at my direct question to him before gaining composure quickly again. "No I wouldn't. Something about you, without the use of my gift and before I even knew of yours, screamed caution towards me. I knew to be wary of you from that very moment, that's why I suddenly joined Alice when she disappeared to go and talk to you in the car park," Jasper explained to everyone.
"Like I said: Never underestimate me," Rosalie briefly flinched at the reminder of the warning she got earlier. "Anyway, nicely explained M–" I suddenly cut myself off, almost slipping, calling him 'Major' instead of his given name. How could I be so reckless these days? I could see his eyes narrow at me, telling me that my slipup didn't go complete amiss.
"So, finally Demetri and Felix lead me into the main hall where everyone was conveniently gathered. After much talking and introductions to everyone, Aro extended a genuine offer to me, allowing me to stay for however long I wished. I stayed for ten years straight before leaving to save Arla and Niklas, and you know the rest of the story from there..." I said, my eyes flickering back to Jasper again, "...well most of it anyway." I added.
"When was this, Annie?" Daddy asked after a moment.
"1797," I replied without hesitation, looking at him for any kind of reaction to my answer.
His eyes flashed closed and his head dropped to face to floor, both his hands taking a strong hold of the golden hair on the back of his head. "Only a year at most after I left," he murmured with sheer grief.
"Did Aro request to touch your hand, Daddy?" I asked, wanting to know some facts now.
"Yes, after he told me of his gift," Daddy said carefully.
Some of the anger and betrayal that I was feeling earlier returned, "So he knew my name. Aro knew who I was the moment I introduced myself to everyone." I relate to the room. "Why didn't he tell me?" I said, asking mainly myself.
"We don't know, Annie. None of us does, but I do think it would do you and your father justice if you was to find out the true reason for Aro's decision to keeping quiet," said Yvon, speaking up. A nod of my head is the only indication that I heard and agree with her.
"Annie, do you have a role within the Volturi?" Edward suddenly asked, coming out of the woodworks again tonight.
"I don't feel it is wise to expose that particular knowledge to all of you..." I explained weakly.
"Why not?" Rosalie challenged, but without the harshness of her usual tone.
"Just because," Wow Annie, great grammar you have going on here. A well-deserved hand-slapped-to-forehead moment is needed right now.
"Annie..." Daddy started, looking at me with pleading eyes.
Groaning in an unladylike manner with defeat, I answered, "I'm the leader of Law Enforcement,"
"That's only one step below Aro, Marcus, and Caius," Daddy stated with surprise. "My child, my daughter, the leader of the Volturi's Law Enforcement." He continued by announcing proudly to everyone in the room. I averted my line of sight to the floor, an incredibly annoying human habit, as if I was blushing.
"Not many people see it as a good thing, Daddy," I muttered after a while. "I have to kill people because of it..." I said with a frown.
"But only because they've broken the law, Annie," Niklas jumped in immediately.
"And endangered our existence too," Arla added.
"But I'm still ending these peoples' lives, you cannot justify that fact," I said, too stubborn to see their ways as always.
"That's it. We are going get this aired out right now, okay Annie? You've been self-mellowing for far too long, according to everyone else." Javonn said, not really asking me for my opinion on the matter. "We are all going to sit here and listen to you go through each situation that you've had to 'kill' someone, as you've so eloquently put it, and we are all going make you see and understand why these people met their end," Since when did Javonn become all demanding and counsel-like?
Without even giving it a seconds thought, everyone in the room agreed to the suggestion. Letting out a dramatic sigh, it told everyone that I would go along with it for them all. I cannot see how this is going to help me though...
"Well...start naming some then, Annie," Brendon suggested unhelpfully. I just sent him a glare in return.
"Ethel Campbell; the dark-haired Russian nomad that I told you about." I stated.
"What did she do?" Edward asked calmly.
"She managed to get within the walls of Volturi castle," I replied.
"Volturi castle is like Buckingham Palace, my child, its royal grounds. Any unknown person inside of these grounds is a dangerous threat, especially one who has managed to sneak in so far before being detected." Daddy explained softly.
"Lana and Arthur Oleander; each other's twin and both newborns?" I continued.
"They were the two within Volterra city that you spoke about, weren't they?" I nodded to say 'yes'. "Annie, they were rogue newborns with no sire to guide and teach them. Vampire law states that no hunting what so ever is permitted with the city's walls, which was exactly what they were doing. The risk of exposure increased by the second of them staying alive. Running around in daylight; feeding off the humans in the area; no conscience of their strength or speed...must I go on?" Brendon said, and quite bluntly too.
"No, I guess not. What about James and Victoria?" I asked weakly, trying to win a losing battle.
"Which they were punished for their crimes of, and I quote: 'Knowingly risking exposure of the existence of our kind...by kidnapping, beating and torturing your victims as extremely as injecting your own venom before killing them countless times on two known accounts and escaping justice.'
Now does that sound like someone who deserves to continue living among everyone else? I know that you think that they just needed blood to survive, which is true, but not by being so inhumane with the process of getting some. Trust me, Annie, I was there along side with you, and I, myself, wouldn't have let them escape that kind of justice." Yvon spoke confidently. Many of us had turned to stare at her with a mixture of shock and surprise from that passionate statement of hers.
I sighed as I thought over what everyone has told me. I knew they were all right but it's just hard to accept what I've had to do. "I know all of you guys are right, I'm just going through one of my moments I suppose." I said, shaking my head as if to clear it.
"Everything will be okay, Annie," Alice chirped happily...odd creature, but lovable all the same.
"Alice is correct, my child, and I'll be here whenever you want or need someone to talk to," Daddy told me softly.
"Always?" I asked, soundly vulnerable but I didn't care at this moment.
"Always, Annabelle," He promised, placing a gentle hand over the top of mine.
"So was that everyone from whom you mentioned?" Emmett asked maturely, which was a strange one for him, from his place on the back of the chair.
I didn't reply to his question, only stared off at the wall behind him contemplating my answer. Meanwhile all members of my family couldn't help but allow their gaze slip over Jasper, who could sense them looking at him. His eyes were narrowed slightly and his eyebrows furrowed in thought as he too flickered his eyes between us all, me including.
I turned my head to look straight at him when I heard his intake of air. "It was you... I mean, you were there, weren't you?" Jasper demanded with astonishment.
"Yes, I was there that day, Jasper...or do you prefer Major?" I replied with a sly smile.
A/N:
What did you like about this chapter?
Some story-telling and self-regretting here in this chapter, okay, but everyone was there to help Annie through it.
We will see the arrival of the Volturi in the next chapter as well as the reactions to Annie's involvement with Jasper's escape.
You could check out my other stories too, if you'd like:
'Travelling Home' - Harry Potter & Twilight Xover fanfic, Family and Romance, Father!Daughter.
'A Bend in the Road' - Harry Potter fanfic, w/Teddy&Albus.S, Romance and Hurt/Comfort.
'Love Among Enemies' - Harry Potter fanfic, w/Draco&Hermione, Romance and Hurt/Comfort.
'A Child is Born' - Twilight fanfic, w/Jasper&O.C (Luna), Romance and Family, Father!Daughter.
Comments from Reviews for Chapter Twenty:
- crazyikleangel - Rest assured, Annie is most likely to not be mated to Edward...you're right, it would be odd.
- Obscured Angel - Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you liked it. Needed some excitement put into the story to keep it alive, ahaa.
- Jazybear.9 - Ahaa! Thank you so much for this review, loved reading it. I don't think she will get with Edward, but Garrett is looking like a possibility...not sure yet. True, she does remind me of Kate a little too.
- L4N498 - Yes, Aro knew due to having read Carlisle's thoughts beforehand. And I was thinking a new character, I have one on reserve for that possibility, or otherwise it could be Garrett.
- Merely A Visitor (Guest) - I felt so happy reading this review, made me feel good tbh. Thank you for loving this story, hope you continue to do so too.
- thiree - I would hate to be Aro right now too if I say so myself, ahaa.
- Bri P - I'm definitely going to use them soon in this story, I think I will have them mated to those to I told you about, thanks again!.