There was silence. Everyone was looking at Marie.

"What?" Emmett stated eloquently.

"I shopped so much more than that.' She repeated, looking curiously at her father.

"You didn't tell them Papa?" She asked a hint of annoyance in her voice. Carlisle looked sheepish.

"No love. I thought... well, it's your story to tell." He muttered. Her delicate eyebrow rose slightly.

"Oh.... Very well then... What should we tell them?" It was Carlisle's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What were you planning to tell them? That you were a milk maid?"

"Me?! A Milk maid? Really, Papa," She shook her head, a grimace of disgust on her delicate face. "I'd last less than an hour. You know I don't... work." She spat out the last word as if it was foul. Carlisle shook his head.

"You really are your mother's child. She refused to work as well."

"She didn't refuse to work! Papa! She was a princess! She didn't need nor want to." She paused. "I however was spoiled rotten, which ruined the prospect of me working. And who do we have to blame for that?"

"The French Treasury?"

"Most probably. But you did buy me that pony when I was five. And all the pretty ball gowns. I think you lit the spark."

"We both know that it was all your mother's doing."

"And me being Daddy's little girl had nothing to do with it?"

"Well.... If you didn't look at me with those damn eyes." He muttered.

"Admit it Papa. I had you wrapped around my finger."

"You had everyone wrapped around your finger."

"Well... I can't help it if I just exude charm and poise. Besides, look where it got me."

"It nearly got you beheaded."

"Yes... but I was Queen of France for nineteen years before that." She informed him, a snort filled the room.

"Your husband was fat, ugly and boring." William added.

"Ah, William, You're back. You seem happier. And really, we've been over this. I am an incredibly vain, narcissistic and greedy person. I had a yearly allowance of $3.6 million on clothing alone. I was happy."

"Were you? You were in a gilded cage." He retorted. Marie nodded.

"True."

"Then how can you say you were happy?"

"Because I was so good at pretending I was, I began to believe it." She stated.

"Sis, that's sad."

"Very." She agreed. "But... It's all in the past! And I didn't come here to discuss my old life. I came here to see Papa's new one. So... Live away!"

"That was probably the worst subject change I have ever had the displeasure to hear." William moaned to his sister. She shot him a glare.

'You really are evil... Bill." She smirked. Carlisle burst out laughing. The rest of the Cullen's looked at him. William on the other hand was staring at his sister, his face twisted in some emotion between anger and heartbreak.

"Low Blow, Marie." He all but whimpered, his hands on his heart. Marie just began laughing, joining her father in rolling on the floor. Once again, the Cullen's exchanged looks, feeling very left out. As she recovered from her laughing fit she looked at her father's family, mirth in her eyes.

'A couple of centuries ago, William had a... an admirer."

"Bloody stalker." William mumbled under his breath. Marie giggled a bit but smothered it to continue her story. Carlisle was still rolling on the floor laughing.

"This... admirer got a bit... overzealous and tried to..."

"She tried to rape me!!! Now if you had been in that situation nobody would be laughing!!!" William shrieked.

"William being the gentleman he is didn't want to hurt the poor girl so he didn't know exactly what to do. I walked in and found the girl practically mauling him. And she kept on calling him was very funny. But, I suppose you had to be there. Or at least have met the girl."

"It wasn't funny! It was extremely traumatizing." William pouted. Emmett looked at him like he was mad.

'Was she, like, ugly or something?" Emmett asked doubtfully. Carlisle looked at his adopted son and smothered another laughing fit, not wanting to spend another few minutes on the floor.

"No... She wasn't. But Willy here doesn't swing that way." Marie laughed. Emmett's mouth morphed in to an 'O' of understanding.

"So, now that we've gotten that out of the way, Marie, you need to hunt."

"Do I William dear, or do you just want to get rid of me?" She asked lightly, smiling brightly at him.

"A little of both, but you haven't hunted in what, three weeks?"

"Hmm... probably. You might be right. Wouldn't want to lose control around the human." At that, Edward lost it. His growl filled the room and he crouched in an attack position. Marie smiled at him.

"Relax, I mean no harm. I'm just stating a fact."

"Then why haven't you hunted in the past three weeks?" Edward asked, hostile tension in his voice.

"I just never got around to it. But I'll go now. Don't worry." She said coolly as she strode towards the door.

"I'll be back in a few hours... Papa? Are there any wolves in the area?" She asked casually. Bella's eyes widened.

"No!" She shrieked. Marie's heads turned towards the human, her brow furrowed.

"What did I say?" She murmured, confused. Carlisle was the one to answer.

"Bella's befriended the local werewolves. She's a bit... sensitive towards them." Marie raised an eyebrow.

"The little girl likes to play with fire... Hmmm, I never would've guessed. Oh, well. I'll stay away from the wolves. Unless one just happens to cross my path, then all bets are off." She stated cheerfully and headed out the door and towards the forest. She came back a moment later.

"I forgot to ask. Where's the limit?" Carlisle nodded slowly.

"You can hunt anywhere, but don't get to close to the town or any houses. There's a boundary line for the Quileute's but you'll smell that... That's about it. Have fun darling."

"Will do." She responded and she ran off again.

A few hours later she returned to a very happy looking family. They were all in the lounge room, bantering with each other friendly. She cleared her throat a bit and they turned to look at her.

"I think... I think that we might have brought the Volturi here."