Chapter Four

Jesse flashed her a heart stopping grin before he stepped past her into the house. It didn't take long for his eyes to take in the plush surroundings of the foyer and what he could see beyond. Tanya closed the door and looked up at him. "Come in and meet my sister and brother, Carmen and Eleazar," she said before walking past him toward the open living area where the other two waited.

Jesse followed, eyes missing nothing as he took in the details. They lived richly, he noted. Of course when one has plenty of time to accumulate money, and nothing better to do, a lot of people tend to spend lots of money. He smiled to himself as he stopped next to Tanya and abruptly sucked in a breath.

The shock on Jesse's face was mirrored on Eleazar's. "Jesse," Eleazar spoke low, though they all heard him.

"Eleazar. I had wondered what happened to you," Jesse replied.

Tanya and Carmen looked at each other then at the men, confusion etched on their faces. "You know each other?" Tanya asked, though that obviously seemed to be a stupid question. Of course they did.

Eleazar snapped out of it and looked to Tanya. "Indeed we do. I knew that Jesse was no longer a part of the guard, but I never knew what happened to him. And here he stands in our living room."

Tanya let out a shocked gasp. "The guard? As in the Volturi?"

Jesse frowned at her reaction. "Yes, though you must have known Eleazar was also in the guard?"

Tanya was looking between the two men, and finally snapped her golden eyes back to Jesse. "Of course I knew Eleazar was in the Volturi at one time. I didn't realize you had also been. At the same time it appears." Tanya's voice was cool from shock.

Eleazar stepped in to try and smooth things over. "You know, Tanya, that I left to pursue a life with Carmen, and we joined your family. Jesse was still there at the time. Perhaps you should let him tell you his story."

Tanya bit her lip. She knew that the Volturi weren't all evil, but after the show down in Forks months ago, and then Caius sending his lackeys after her, she didn't know what to think. Of course she would have remembered Jesse in the group that had come, and he hadn't been there. All these thoughts whirled in her mind though it was only really a half a second before she nodded slowly. "Perhaps it's time we talked Jesse. This time on even footing."

Jesse sighed quietly and nodded. He guessed there was no putting this off now. He followed Tanya out onto the deck that came off the living room with French doors. He saw Carmen and Eleazar discreetly disappear up the stairs. Turning to face Tanya, he waited to see what she would say.

Cocking her head to one side, Tanya regarded him thoughtfully. Jesse just stared her down with those intense red eyes. "You were in the Volturi guard?" Her voice was deceptively quiet.

He shifted slightly, raised his chin a notch and shrugged. "I didn't realize that was a crime. Especially since your 'brother' Eleazar also used to be in the Volturi guard."

Tanya closed her eyes, wondering why this was bothering her so much. It's not like they had had a chance to talk about their pasts yet. "I'm sorry. It came as a shock, and with the events Caius set in motion so recent in my memory... well I was just shocked."

Jesse watched as she opened her eyes slowly to look at him again. He was stunned by the glittering golden color. "Tanya..." He drew in a breath. "I left the Volturi not long after Eleazar did. I found that I tired of Aro's and Caius's games."

Tanya nodded, unsure what else to say. "I suppose it's time to talk. Of course I realize your life didn't start when I walked into it, however unwittingly," she smiled slightly. "Just as mine didn't start when you saved me."

Jesse pointed to the spot where a couple chairs and an outdoor loveseat sat around a portable fire pit in the corner. "Shall we sit down then? This may take some time." He grinned.

Tanya couldn't help but smile back and she strode to one of the chairs and sank gracefully down into it. When he was seated across from her, she pulled her legs up under her, and rested her elbow on the arm of the chair, her chin in her hand, watching him. "So... Australia huh?" she asked nonchalantly.

Jesse shook his head. "Oh no, I answered your questions back in Maine. Now you get to answer some of mine." He grinned before continuing. "Your eyes... they are so pretty. But you don't feed on humans?" He had followed her hunting once, but he was curious what she would say.

Tanya shook her head. "No. Many many years ago, we found we could survive on animal blood. It's not as filling as human blood, but it keeps us killing them. It also enables us to live in one place longer. We have had this residence here for a long time. From time to time we do leave, but we always seem to come back. It's home I suppose."

Jesse looked fascinated. "You really don't feed on humans?"

Tanya was used to this question and chuckled a bit under her breath. "No, we don't feed on humans. The... guilt of killing someone weighs heavily on me. I have killed before, but I don't want to."

Jesse nodded. "And you live here with Carmen and Eleazar. Is that the sister you called?" He knew it wasn't, of course, but the figured he could keep her talking. Her voice had a soothing effect on him.

Tanya gave him a funny look, but shrugged, obliging his unspoken request for her to continue with her story. "The sister I called was my sister Kate. She is the one who just got married. She met Garrett... well awhile ago, and they kind of hit it off. And he helped her through a very difficult time. They are crazy in love," she smiled a bit as she said that last part. Perhaps she had finally figured it out.

Jesse smiled when she did. "I'm sure he's a very lucky guy. And they live here too?"

Tanya nodded. "They are still on their honeymoon right now, so they are not here, but yes, they usually live here as well. Eleazar teaches psychology up at the Fairbanks campus during the school year. Carmen donates her time to one of the museums in Fairbanks. Kate has been between jobs, deciding if she wants to go back to school for another degree or not. I've been taking time off as well ever since... Well I figured I'd either go back to school again, or find something to do for work in the next few months."

Jesse watched her curiously as she shifted in her seat after omitting something from her explanation. "Will you tell me what happened?" he asked gently.

Raising her eyes to his, she stared helplessly into them for a moment before nodding. "I had another sister..." her voice was very soft, nearly a whisper. "Irina. Caius killed her, mostly to provoke an attack by Kate and myself. Our friends... they stopped us from attacking, averting the disaster. It was another of Caius's sick games," she said bitterly.

He raised a brow. "Caius seems to have it in for your family. Do you know why?"

"I can only guess, as he has never come out and told us," she said sarcastically. "He probably sees us as a threat, just as he and Aro see the Cullens as a threat. They think we want the power, the... responsibility, of upholding the law. I respect it, but I don't want to rule the vampire world. If I did, I would have joined the Volturi. I want to live out my existence quietly, with those I love."

Jesse was quiet. He understood all too well the games that Caius and Aro played. "That seems like a fairly easy thing to do," he said softly.

Tanya smirked. "You would think it would be."

Jesse settled back into the cushion of the chair. "So tell me, beautiful Tanya, who are you?"

Tanya settled back as well and she started talking, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. She told him of Sasha, something she had chastised Kate for doing, but she finally understood why Kate had done it. She told him about the issues her and Kate had been having that brought her to Maine in the first place. She talked for a long time, and Jesse listened to every word as if she were speaking the gospel.