A/N: Hi there! This story is an [Aro/Caius/Marcus/OC] fanfic. There will be eventual smut, so be warned! Also, the Volturi are good in this fanfic, and Aro did NOT kill his sister Didyme (unlike the canon). I hope you have just as much fun reading this story as I did writing it 3 Feel free to leave a comment, I love hearing what you think of this story.
I'm pretty sure I would never get used to the feeling of running. The wind blowing through my hair, the landscape passing by in a blur… Even if I wasn't the one with supernatural physical strength, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
"Are we almost there?!" I ask Vladimir, holding onto him tightly as I was sitting on his back.
"Almost, Princess!" He shouts so I can hear, as Stefan turns his head to flash me a grin.
Suddenly, howls fill the air.
"A-Are those werewolves?" I bring out, growing a little scared.
"Not exactly. Shapeshifters!" Stefan exclaims, and when the two share a mischievous grin, my hold on Vladimir automatically tightens.
"Vlad, no!" I shout, but to no use, as they launch themselves into the air, swinging from tree to tree. I did not like being jostled around like Jane from Tarzan! I squeal, gripping Vladimir even tighter, when I look down and see giant wolves chasing us, barking and growling like crazy. The laughter of my two friends fills the air, and finally they land onto a rock, far out of reach.
Vlad pulls me down to sit in between the two of them, as they mock the shapeshifters by making kissing noises, motioning for them to come get us, the wolves growling at that. I would rather not be eaten by wolves, but I trust these two. Even though they seemed very casual in their way of sitting, they were keeping me in between them to keep me safe, ready to speed off at any time. Suddenly, a group of vampires arrive at human speed.
"Vladimir, Stefan. You're a long way from home." A blonde haired vampire speaks up. He's quite handsome, with amber eyes and a defined jawline, neat light blonde hair. He also looked like the fatherly type, the way he was dressed in dress shirt with a pullover and a jacket. His eyes met mine, and he seemed very confused that I, a human, was with them.
"What are they doing here?" A blonde, straight haired woman mutters to a dark-haired guy. They all seemed to have the same amber coloured eyes, now that I looked closely. Weird. Then, I remember how Vlad and Stefan had told me about the "vegetarians". I was surprised that there were so many of them here.
"We heard that the Volturi were moving against you. But that you would not stand alone." I speak up, standing up from where I had been sitting. The two quickly stand up at that as well, ready to protect me if something went wrong. I suppress a smile at that; they could be so overprotective at times. It did help to make me feel safe, even though I was surrounded by vampires and hungry wolves.
"We didn't do what we were accused of." Carlisle quickly says, but Vladimir dismisses it just as quickly.
"We do not care what you did, Carlisle." He says with a smile.
"We have been waiting a millennia for the Italian scum to be challenged." Stefan adds, and I can practically feel their eagerness.
"It is not our plan to fight the Volturi." Carlisle argues. He seems like a kind soul. All the while, a certain brown haired boy keeps eyeing me closely.
'What's your problem, huh?' I think as I lock eyes with him. To my surprise, his eyes grow wider at that, startling me. He could read minds?!
"Shame. Aro's witnesses will be so disappointed." Vlad says mockingly, turning to look at Stefan.
"They enjoy a good fight." Stefan agrees with a grin.
"Aro's witnesses?" a dark haired male speaks up, seeming worried.
"Oh, still hoping they'll listen?" Vladimir asks, turning a little more serious.
"Perhaps it would be better if we discussed this at our home." Carlisle states, everyone a little tense.
Stefan pulls me into his arms and lifts me up, the next second we're speeding after the group. When they stop, we've reached a beautiful house with large windows, that looked modern and homely at the same time.
"I apologize for not introducing myself to you earlier, I was merely surprised to see Vladimir and Stefan. I'm Carlisle Cullen, the head of my clan." The blonde haired introduces himself to me as I enter the house, cautiously.
"Oh, no problem at all. I'm Ophelia." I greet, taking his hand to shake it. I realize I must look really out of place, my two vampire friends dressed in black leather, and here I was, a human girl, wearing soft, dark green trousers, a beige polo shirt with a dark brown knitted sweater over it, and a soft, dark brown dress coat. It sufficed to say I did not look like I belonged here, in a house full of vampires.
"I'm assuming that the Romanians are your friends?" He asks politely, like he doesn't want to intrude.
"Yes, more like brothers from other mothers." I explain, making him chuckle.
"Let me introduce you to everyone, then." He says, and as if on que, everyone gathers in the living room.
"My family are the Cullens. Esme is my wife, and then my children: Emmett and Rosalie, Alice and Jasper who aren't here today, and Edward with his wife, Bella, and their child, Renesme." He begins, gesturing towards each person. I receive a nod from them, making me smile back. Esme looks exactly like you'd picture a mother figure, Emmett is a very muscly yet fun-looking guy, Rosalie must be one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen before, Edward is the mind-reader I'd seen earlier, with Bella and the child this all was about clinging to him. Next, he introduces us to all the other vampires, but to be fair, there were way too many of them for me to remember any names, and some of them even seemed hostile to having me here. It's a bit much, to be honest.
I'm startled by a gentle tug on my arm sleeve. When I look down, I find Renesme there, a gentle smile on her face.
"Hi there! You must be Renesme." I greet her, crouching down so I'm at her level. Before she says anything, though, suddenly her hand's on my cheek. I'm startled by it, but not nearly as much as I am by the images that flash in my mind. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen, and to be honest, it felt utterly weird to have someone else's memories in your mind like that. Renesme shows me how she was inside Bella and then suddenly out, which just looks plain gross, and how Bella nearly died giving birth to her. It's followed by memories of her life since then, and even though I hadn't really doubted the Cullens' innocence before, this evidence is quite solid. When she lets go, everyone's watching us, expectantly.
"They're innocent." I say to Vlad and Stefan, walking back over to them.
"We already knew that, though." Vladimir comments, as Stefan nods along.
"Do you have a room where I could sleep? I'm a bit tired from the journey." I ask Carlisle. He nods, leading the three of us away, out of the room. It made me feel like I could relax a little. The fact that I had two vampire friends didn't mean I didn't feel uneasy around about twenty of them.
He explains that I'd be sleeping in Edward's old room, that was empty now that Bella and Edward had their own home. Vampires didn't need to sleep, but Edward did have a bed for when Bella came over.
After Carlisle leaves the room, I flop down onto the bed.
"Tired from the journey?" Vladimir asks, jumping onto the bed himself, landing beside me. Stefan sits down in a calmer way, his hand taking mine automatically. I yawn, making them laugh.
"Get some sleep, princess." Stefan says gently, flashing me a smile. They talk softly amongst each other, and I slowly doze off.
I recognize my dream. It had been years since the last time I dreamt of them, and yet here they were.
Three vampires, one raven-haired, one blonde, one dark brown. Their presence radiates danger, and I can feel my body tremble, a thought of a fate that's sealed hanging thickly in my head. Their expression is one of hunger and power, and I feel small, kneeling at their feet. I'm looking up at them, desperate. I don't want to die.
"There's no need to be afraid, cara mia. You're safe with us." The raven-haired speaks, his voice like a lullaby.
"Ophelia… Ophelia!"
I gasp awake, startled. Vladimir's face comes into view, but I'm still panicking.
"You're safe, you're with us, Princess. You're safe." Stefan appears in my view, grabbing my wrists. When I look down, I find that I've dug my nails in my palms, and that I had been on the verge of bleeding.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't-
I gasp, forcing myself to take deep breaths.
"No talking, princess. Breathe first." Vlad orders, wrapping his arms around me. It takes me a while, but I manage to calm down eventually.
"Ophelia, are you having nightmares again?" Stefan carefully speaks up, sounding worried. They both look at me, worriedly.
"N-no, this was the first time." I answer, still shaken. It had been years since my last nightmare.
"Maybe it's because of our sudden move here. The situation might be too stressful for you." Vladimir muses.
"It's fine, really." I protest, but one look from them both makes me shut up.
"It's not fine. You haven't had those dreams for years, and now they return? Something's wrong." Stefan says sternly.
"We'll see if it gets worse." I mutter, and we all decide to leave it at that. When we make our way downstairs, everyone clearly heard me.
"Are you okay, Ophelia?" Carlisle asks, handing me a cup of coffee.
"I'm fine, thanks for the coffee." I answer, taking it from him. I didn't like drawing attention like this.
"Why does she scream like that in her sleep?" Garett asks, eyeing me with suspicion.
"It would be wise if you don't meddle with our affairs, Garett." Vladimir threatens, although he sounds very casual.
"Overprotective much?" Garett answers, though his eyes are focused on me.
"I've had nightmares since I was young. It's nothing to worry about." I speak up, holding his stare.
"About?" He argues, not planning on letting this rest.
"Vampires or my father." I state. He shuts up at that, thankfully.
"Renesme asks if you will go on a walk with us, Ophelia." Edward speaks up, entering the room. His eyes meet mine, and I realize he's seeing my nightmare, since he seems too tense.
"Sure. I'll be right back." I state to Vlad and Stefan, before leaving the room with Edward.
Renesme seems happy to see me, though Jacob follows along outside.
"Are you alright?" Edward asks after a long time, his daughter playing a while ahead with the shapeshifter.
"What do you see in my mind that makes you ask that?" I ask him in return, glancing sideways.
"Nightmares. They're pretty awful for a human." He admits, staring ahead. After a moment, he hands me his coat.
"You're cold." Is all he says, so I tug it on. It was a grey trench coat, which was surprisingly warm.
"Well, I'm used to them. Had them since forever. They disappeared while it was just Vlad, Stefan and me, but they seem to have returned." I explain. For some reason, I felt at ease around him. There was something about reading minds that made it easier to be straightforward and honest. After all, what was the point of lying to someone who already knew the truth?
"Do you know who you dream of?" He asks. It sounds like he knows, to be honest. It makes me throw him a questioning glance.
"I only know my father. Do you know anything?"
He shakes his head at that. We don't say much for the rest of the walk, although I don't really mind.
When we return to the house, Bella gives me a questioning look. Edward quickly goes over to her and whispers something in her ear, causing her to relax a bit.
The rest of our stay passes by pretty uneventfully. The others mostly seem to avoid us, probably because Vlad and Stefan would prefer a violent war instead of the peace-making they have in mind. Still, I find myself spending most of my time around Edward, having taking a liking to not having to say a word to have a conversation with him, and Carlisle, who hovered around me like a father figure. Apparently, he'd saved all his children and his wife from terrible deaths, out of some saviour complex. It turns out he felt the same about me, and didn't fully trust the Romanians, although he had never outright said that. Surprisingly, I also got along fine with Emmett, the muscles of the group. He was pretty funny, and liked to do human stuff as well, like watching movies or playing board games at a normal speed. He also didn't mind sparring against Vlad and Stefan. I didn't train, Stefan's orders, even though I could fight. I also try not to think about fighting too much when Edward's around, since we had our own way of fighting vampires, even if I was a human. Every night, I have the same dream of the three men, but they seem to become more and more detailed every night. It kind of worried me, although I didn't voice my concerns to anyone.
Far too soon, the day Alice predicted the Volturi would arrive, approaches. The night before, we end up gathered around the fire, trading war stories.
"I'm terribly curious to hear your story, tiny human." Garett says eventually, which was something I definitely saw coming from miles away.
"She doesn't have to tell you anything about her life." Vladimir protests, not at all getting along with the guy. Before they begin to argue, I motion for them to stop.
"If he really wants to hear, I'll tell him."
"You really don't have to, Ophelia." Carlisle says reassuringly. Tonight, he'd been sitting by my side, and right now, he places a hand on my shoulder, giving me a comforting squeeze.
"I want to. Clearly, Garett thinks I don't have much to attribute to our conversation." I answer, flashing the kind vampire a smile.
"My mother died giving birth to me. My father was abusive… it wasn't pretty. On my eighteenth birthday, a female vampire broke into our home and killed my father. When she saw me, she told me I was safe with your kind, and brought me to Vladimir and Stefan. I've been living with them ever since."
As I'm telling my story, Carlisle's grip on my shoulder tightens slightly. Edward's expression looks pained, as he relives my thoughts through me, and even Garett pales slightly.
"I apologize." He mutters eventually.
"It's fine. It's been five years." I dismiss, catching the worried look Stefan gives me.
"Is that why you have the nightmares?" Rosalie speaks up, taking me by surprise. When I nod, I can see in her eyes she's been through something similar.
"Why did the female vampire spare you?" Bella asks, confused.
"Her human life had been just as bad. She had been abused by men her entire life. When we found her, nearly dead, we turned her. She's made it her mission to save women like her ever since." Vladimir explains.
"We usually turn them into vampires, but we thought Ophelia was still too young." Stefan adds, throwing a warm look my way. Rosalie seems terribly upset, and I get it now. Emmett wraps his arms around her, pulling her close.
Throughout the night, stories are shared. By the end of it, I feel strangely connected to these people. They might've been wary of us before, but they seemed to at least accept us now.
Rosalie stops me before I make my way to my tent, where I would be sleeping.
"I understand what you've gone through. I'm sorry." She says softly, her amber eyes meeting mine. She looked beautiful in the pale moonlight.
"I know you do. I'm sorry as well." I answer, placing a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes shut at that, and when they open again, she smiles.
"We should hang out. After this." She says.
"We will." I answer with a smile, before she walks off.
When I get in the tent, Vlad and Stefan are already waiting for me.
"You alright, princess?" Vladimir asks, pulling me close as soon as I'm lying down.
"A little nervous for tomorrow. You?" I answer honestly, feeling Stefan cuddle up behind me. Their arms wrap into the familiar cocoon I've been sleeping in for the past five years, and I sigh contently. As long as I was with them, I would be safe.
"We'll be fine. We love you." Stefan whispers reassuringly.
"I love you guys too." I whisper back, dozing off quickly, as always.