Chapter 53 - Gathering Forces
Third Person POV
The scientists Aro had personally changed and kept secret from everyone else were located nearby. In addition to being incredibly intelligent, one of them was so paranoid about the possibility of his research being stolen before he could receive credit for it, that he deliberately made everything about himself and what he was doing seem as boring as possible, so nobody would notice him, ask questions, or look into whatever he was investigating. Lance was subsequently ignored, overlooked, and underestimated by his peers and professors, just as he wanted. His deliberate tendency to offer long-winded and rambling explications, in response to any and every question or statement directed his way, had everyone avoiding any and all type of interaction with the tedious proser.
As a vampire, Lance now had a very useful gift that convinced everyone within a certain radius there was absolutely nothing of interest in the vicinity. Both vampires and humans alike paid no attention to anything within his sphere of influence, not even seeing the buildings, vehicles, or activities of the inhabitants. The brains of anyone close enough to make observations, dismissed all information about the confines as unworthy of processing, instantly discarding the details before they could be noticed or recorded. Anyone looking in that direction or even walking by wouldn't remember there being anything there - simply an empty field or empty lot, without any characteristics worthy of description.
This gift was particularly handy, as nobody noticed the giant rocket and launch pad located within easy sight of the castle. Nobody noticed the way it blocked their view as they stared out their windows. Nobody heard the cacophony of sound as it was assembled. Nobody wondered where Aro disappeared to for hours each day. Not a single person, vampire or human, noticed the appearance of a brand new laboratory and storage buildings onsite. Only Aro saw any of it, as his knowledge of its existence forced his brain to pay attention to it. Even knowing what was happening, he still had to perform a manual override of his observation process to keep his brain from dismissing it all as unimportant, the way it normally would.
Aro was busy monitoring the progress of the four scientists on his ultimate plan for the future - colonizing and controlling the entire universe.
Lance Martin was in charge of calculating which raw materials and finished products would be needed for the first colony to develop independently after a single initial supply run. He was also expected to supply plans for the base of operations, buildings, transportation, etc. for the colony, as well as an estimated timeline for producing each.
Trent Wilson, an excellent biochemist, was given the task of producing a tasty, aromatic, efficient, effective blood substitute, with no negative side effects. He was still working on it.
Logan Miller was a brilliant aeronautic engineer and was the one who had built the rocket. The rocket near the castle was strictly a personnel carrier. He had created several supply ships as well to hold and deliver all necessary materials, as decided upon by Lance. While many of the supplies had been collected over the years, none were yet loaded, nor was the collection complete. His creative design had allowed the supply ships to become temporary buildings in the new colony, once the supplies had been unloaded.
Finally, Klaus Einstein, Albert Einstein's grandson had the challenge of working on long term, long distance space travel, allowing for the colonization of other planets in other solar systems. Klaus had a special place in Aro's heart. The boy had contracted diphtheria in December of 1938, mere days after conclusive proof of nuclear fission was publicly presented in Europe. His parents, Albert Einstein's son and daughter-in-law, didn't believe in receiving modern medical care and denied Klaus treatment for the bacterial infection. Knowing this would result in his death, knowing his grandfather and father were both brilliant physicists, and knowing nuclear bombs could prove a danger to vampires, both directly and by eradicating their food source, the Volturi intervened. Aro had been watching the Einstein family, as well as the families of several other prominent scientists, for just such an opportunity. Klaus was secretly medicated, his death faked, and he was brought to Europe where he was raised in comfort with the finest human tutors. Upon reaching the age of 25 in 1957, he was changed by Aro himself, in response to the successful launch of Sputnik 1. As soon as his newborn phase was over, he was hard at work learning everything he could about space travel, delving as much into theory as known practice and building on the concepts his grandfather had presented to the world.
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Aro paced his wife's bed chamber, hands behind his back, dark black cloak nearly brushing the floor. He mentally considered the list of vampires currently seeking asylum behind Volterra's walls, along with their strengths, gifts, and weaknesses. It was all coming together, but ever so slowly, so slowly it made snails look like speed demons.
Alec and Santiago, who had been promoted for his loyalty, were training the troops day in and day out, hour after hour, teaching them all every defensive technique they'd ever used successfully against werewolves in the past. Of course, none of those methods would work if there was no flesh to strike, no bones to break, no blood to spill, but they had learned something new that gave them all hope.
The newest member of the Japanese coven, Takumi, had a gift that seemed very similar to what Alec had experienced with the spirit wolves. He could send out his ikiryo, the manifestation of his soul/spirit separate from his body, at will. In his ikiryo form, he could move amongst other vampires without detection - invisible, soundless, scentless, and immaterial. If he wanted to be visible, it required more energy.
Upon his arrival at the castle, Aro had discovered his gift and immediately started him training to make parts of his ikiryo, like his teeth and claws, solid, so they could interact physically with objects in the real world. Takumi was slowly making progress, but it was very draining for him, requiring him to need to feed every hour while practicing.
It had never occurred to Takumi before to try to make any or all of his ikiryo corporeal. He had simply used it to spy on others, get the lay of the land, and occasionally to mess with people for his own amusement. He had also used it a few times to lead others away from his real body, having them chase after the ikiryo instead and then returning to his body in a blink once they were far enough away. The hostile vampires would be freaked out by his sudden disappearance, and if they chose to retrace their steps, he still had plenty of time to run away during their return trip.
Takumi's biggest weakness, other than becoming quickly drained and needing to return to his body to feed, was that his spiritless body was completely vulnerable to attack while his ikiryo was roaming. Without the soul to animate the body, his body remained unresponsive and oblivious, like it was for the original spirit warriors in the Quileute legends. When Taha Aki's body was stolen by another spirit warrior, who then killed his own body so Taha Aki couldn't use it, Taha Aki's spirit was forced to wander, unable to communicate with the tribe. Luckily for him, a wolf allowed Taha Aki's spirit to share space within its body, combining two spirits within the same physical body.
The Quileute protector's special 'shape shifting' gene, activated by the proximity of vampires, does not contain the ability for the protector to phase. Once switched on, it released a special hormone into the air to attract a wandering wolf spirit, letting the spirit know it was welcome to inhabit the human's body, alongside the human's soul. It was actually the presence of two souls within the same body that allowed for the transformation from one form to the other, not the presence of the gene itself. Though without the gene, the wolf spirit would never attempt to enter the human's body, believing it would be destroyed by the current ethereal occupant.
Aro and the other vampires were encouraged by what they learned from Takumi, assuming the werewolves' talents were similar. They intended to have an army of 'disposable' newborns in the front lines to 'distract' the wolves, while older, more valuable vampires, searched for the wolves' abandoned bodies and eliminated them at the source. All of the ikiryo's energy was supplied by Takumi's body, so if anything happened to his body, he would lose the ability to be seen, heard, or interact with the real world. Then he would be just one more bodyless soul, ghosting through the universe, searching for its other half. They assumed the same would true for the werewolves.
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AroPOV
"Master Aro?" the intercom buzzed with Gianna's annoyingly perky voice.
Is she completely oblivious to the tension around here? I wondered. Could she possibly be that stupid? Well, she is human, after all. I rolled my eyes and sighed. If I eat her, then I have to train somebody else to do her job, and I can't spare even a single vampire to cover that position. She's lucky we're in the middle of a crisis right now, or she'd be my lunch today.
"Yes?" I responded politely, no hint of my inner irritation in my voice.
"The Egyptians are here, sir."
Ah, Amun, the squirrelly bastard. Always likes to ride the fence, courting both sides, joining the winners at the last minute. The original double agent, never to be trusted. The Romanians found that out to their detriment. Once he realized I could read his every thought, he served them up on a silver platter, betraying his former friends without a second thought.
"Have Oscar show them to the red room," I commanded. I didn't want him anywhere near the training or even knowing who else was here. I was not ignorant of the fact this was the ideal time for my opponents to initiate a coup, to rise up in mutiny against me. Amun was just the type who loved to stir up trouble amongst the troops, while keeping himself and his mate safely on the sidelines. A few snide comments here and there to the right people would sow the seeds of discontent. If enough of them banded together over shared grievances, my brothers and I wouldn't stand a chance. Not anymore.
I left the tower and swept regally through the corridor to the red room. I clung tightly to the illusion of power that was convincing my fellow vampires I had everything under control and could protect them from harm. It was my duty as a ruler, as king. If they knew how weak the Volturi really were right now, they would lose all faith in us, overthrow us, and replace us in the blink of an eye.
I entered the room and greeted my guests, Amun and Kebi. "Ah, Amun, it's so good to see you and your mate again." I gave him an insincere smile, noticing his distinctly shifty eyes.
He's hiding something, my inner voice warned.
I know. Anybody could have that, I internally muttered to myself, annoyed with the whole situation.
Well, excuuuse me! Why don't you just handle everything by yourself from now on, since you know so much, Mr. Smarty Pants, the voice challenged petulantly.
No, no, I still need you. Sorry, I hastily placated my inner beast. It wasn't funny playing these games with myself. Can we please just concentrate on the shady characters in front of us for now?
Ah, yes. Please continue.
I inhaled deeply, letting it go slowly, calming and preparing myself. It's a good thing my gift lets me know that all vampires have an inner voice or I'd worry I was insane for arguing with myself.
I don't think you should be so hasty to dismiss that concern, the voice snarked.
I chose to ignore it and concentrated instead on my faux friend. I held out my hand to him, and he stared at it as if it was a werewolf, teeth gleaming with anti-venom, poised to strike. Definitely hiding something.
It took all my self-control not to reply, 'No shit, Sherlock.' At least not deliberately. Of course, the moment it crossed my mind, the voice heard it anyway, so it growled and pouted. I simply chuckled in response, no sign of my inner amusement reflected on my face.
Raising an eyebrow, I stared at Amun impassively. I had no intention of backing down, needing to know his thoughts and secrets to determine if he was spying on me or not. He finally, reluctantly, submitted to my authority. Ever so lightly, he placed his fingers against mine. I could tell he was trying to block his thoughts, but my gift is so powerful, it can't be blocked. I smirked as I broke contact with him.
"I am SO looking forward to meeting your new son Ben and his lovely young mate. Such a shame he did not travel with you. I DO hope he gets here before the werewolves get him."
During my facetious speech, proclaiming my knowledge of that which he'd hoped to keep hidden, his facial expression made him look like he was sucking on a lemon, which for a vampire was roughly equivalent to a human sucking on canine excrement. To all appearances, I was as emotionless as a statue, but within, I was snickering like a schoolboy. I so love annoying people by exposing their innermost secrets to the rest of the world. They always demonstrate the most entertaining facial expressions when I do. It's the simple pleasures in life that make existence worth continuing to those who can appreciate them.
Right. Simple pleasures for simple minds.
Shut up! Don't be such a killjoy. You know you love it as much as I do.
Actually, I prefer the expression when they look like they'd be soiling themselves if they still could.
Ah, that is a good one, I acknowledged, remembering quite a few occasions of causing that expression on the face of someone who'd broken my rules or disrespected me in some way. I especially enjoy when they give that little squeak, that 'eep' sound of fear, and are otherwise speechless. I love watching them tremble and wrap their arms around themselves, like frightened little mice surrounded by big, hungry cats. My mood was improving with these happy memories of total power and complete control.
A sorely disgruntled Amun, meanwhile, was glaring at a spot on my desk as if it would catch fire if he concentrated hard enough. Soft spoken Kebi whispered something in his ear, too quietly for me to overhear.
I had never heard the woman speak to anyone other than her mate, and I wondered if she spoke to Ben and his mate Tia, when Amun wasn't around, or if she maintained her silence even when he wasn't at home. I knew from Amun's thoughts he loved her shy and submissive behavior and actively encouraged it, deliberately keeping her completely dependent on him for everything. For the first time, I actually had a desire to know the intricate workings of her mind as well as his. Does she enjoy their unequal relationship, or would she change it given the chance?
Whatever she whispered to Amun seemed to cheer him up, as he suddenly got a gleam in his eye. "What happened to Chelsea and Jane?"
That question quickly soured my mood, especially when I realized he knew I couldn't use either of their gifts to take Ben away from him. "They were killed by the spirit wolves, our new enemy. They didn't even know what hit them until it was too late. The wolf was upon them before they knew it was there, as it appeared out of nowhere."
They stared at me in horrified awe, before exchanging an uneasy look. Recognizing their fear for their new coven mates, I deliberately played upon them. "Imagine teeth biting into your neck with no head to hold onto to force them to let go. Imagine claws ripping into your flesh, with no paws to grab, no body to attack, no bones to break or push away. Imagine they can remain invisible to all five senses until they are inches away from you. Two of these creatures wiped out two entire vampire armies without a single injury to themselves. Two vampires traveling on their own would never stand a chance."
I smirked when I noticed the panic on both their faces. "Well, I have work to do, so we can visit more later," I declared, rising from my seat and heading to the door. With one step into the hallway, I looked over my shoulder at them and suggested, 'Perhaps you should call them and tell them to move a little faster on their journey."
As I closed the door behind me, I heard the beeping tones of Amun making a phone call.
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Third Person POV
Leah was far from being thrilled to be voluntarily spending time with leeches, helping them no less. She hated them, hated being a wolf, hated Sam and Emily, hated the pack mind and the whole imprinting mumbo-jumbo. She hated being the only female wolf, the only bitch in the pack, and desperately wished the supernatural was merely the product of overactive imaginations and ignorance of logical explanations, like she used to believe. So when she was partnered up with Muscles and Blondie, she didn't pretend to be happy about it.
She didn't want to be there, didn't want to help shield them, and really didn't want to go around being a messenger mutt to all the vampires in their assigned region, the African continent. Only the fact that she didn't want to be anywhere near Sam and Emily motivated her to agree to traveling all over the country in the company of her mortal enemy, whom she was expected to cooperate with instead of rip to shreds like her instincts were screaming for her to do.
Since she couldn't burn them to ash with her lighter, she decided to light them on fire with her words, glares, body language, and attitude instead.
Rose didn't want anything to do with these smelly overgrown puppies. It was bad enough she had to deal with two joining her extended family, but these new ones smelled ten times worse, as if they'd been rolling around in skunkweed and rotting fish guts. Had none of them heard of a bath? She certainly didn't want one within ten feet of her, much less a constant companion confined in a small space, like a car or a hotel room.
She hated having to be polite to them as a good hostess, for Esme's sake. She hated their pissing contests where they constantly bragged about their exploits and claims of how much better they were than vampires. She hated their warmth and their heartbeats. She hated their health, rapid healing, physical attractiveness, and immortality. She hated their ability to eat human food, sleep, go out into the sun, and blend in easily with humans. She really hated their ability to reproduce, but most of all she hated that they had a choice.
At some point, when all was said and done, the shifters could choose to stop being monsters out of a horror story, to stop shifting and become normal again. They could choose to grow old with their loved ones, to have grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and one day to die a noble and honorable death, passing naturally of old age when their time comes.
As far as she could tell, the Quileute wolves had their cake and could eat it too. They had all the benefits of being supernatural - speed, strength, super senses, health, beauty, rapid healing, immortality, and soul mates - but without all the detriments. They weren't dead like the vampires. No, they were very much alive, able to grow, change, and have children of their own - all the things Rose had always wanted for herself, but now could never have.
As soon as they were away from Esme, Rose decided, she wasn't going to play nice anymore.
Emmett just wanted to play with the doggie. He was eagerly envisioning games of catch, fetch, and chase. He really hoped the pup would chase its tail and tried to think of a way to make that happen. Em was an easygoing guy, who liked to play games and used humor to keep the peace. He didn't particularly care for the odor associated with his new ally, but as long as they were on the same team, he was happy to make new friends.
I am going to have the time of my life, Em decided, rubbing his hands together. While still accomplishing the mission of course, he quickly acknowledged with his customary grin, dimples, and twinkling eyes.
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Emmett was thrilled to trade in his old Jeep Wrangler for the new four door version. The first of its kind, it was open to the air, which meant as long as the vehicle was moving, the air forcefully pushed the scent of the werewolf in the backseat behind them, so he and Rosie didn't have to smell it. Unfortunately, Leah then had a constant stream of vampire odor blowing right in her face. She insisted on her own vehicle, and Carlisle indulged her to keep the peace. Instead of choosing a car, she decided on a motorcycle - a super sport touring motorcycle, the BMW K1200GT, which was designed to provide the maximum speed, power, and responsiveness possible, while offering a comfortable, luxurious ride and maximum storage capabilities.
As soon as she found out what Leah was driving, Rose decided the new Jeep was impractical, citing the sun as the major hindrance. She insisted on taking the M3 instead, claiming it was the smarter option since she'd gotten the windows tinted in case of sunny days, though it was no secret to anyone that the M3 was much faster and better looking than the Jeep. Emmett pouted for a few minutes, but quickly capitulated after a pointed look from Rose.
After driving for 18 hours straight, only stopping for gas, during which time Leah also procured food for herself and used the restroom, they finally stopped at a Rose approved hotel right outside the boundaries of a claimed territory. They parked on opposite sides of the parking lot and met in the middle, so they could walk into the lobby together.
As soon as they were within thirty feet of one another, Emmett asked, "Do you want me to get a two bedroom suite if they have one available?"
Both women instantly scoffed at him, shaking their heads.
"Hell, no! I won't be able to sleep with the stench of leech in the air!" Leah protested. "You get me my own room, bloodsucker, and stay the hell away from me."
"Well, I certainly don't relish gagging on the aroma of rotting fish and pond scum while patiently waiting for the mutt to finish napping. Talk about a mood killer," Rose growled, her hands on her hips. "Get us a room on a different floor."
"Oh, ew! You're not planning on having sex, are you? I don't want to listen to that shit!" Leah complained. "It'll give me nightmares."
"Hey, just consider it a free show! No need to rent a porno," Emmett teased, waggling his eyebrows. Both women glared at him, and he took a step back, his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
"At least I'm getting some. Maybe if you shake your ass a little, you can find someone who likes to do it doggie-style," Rose taunted, sneering.
"I know I'm a bitch . . .," Leah began.
"Literally!" Emmett interrupted, snickering. Both women chose to ignore him, to his dismay. "Oh, c'mon, that was golden!" Neither woman even glanced his way or acknowledged him at all. "Fine, be that way," he huffed, leaning back against a minivan and sulking.
"But I never asked for any of this shit," Leah continued, as if Em had never spoken a word. "I didn't want to be a fucking freak, the only female in a pack of juvenile males. I never wanted to turn into a giant dog or fight vampires. I just wanted a normal, happy life, with a husband and kids. So yes, I'm a bitter bitch because of the shitty hand life dealt me. What's your excuse?"
Rose's eyebrows rose in surprise, before she hunkered down with determination. Waving a hand toward herself, she challenged, "Do you think I asked for this? To be an undead, soulless, bloodsucking monster? No! I didn't want this! Nobody gave me a fucking choice, and I can't ever go back to being normal, like you can! So why are you so damn bitter?"
Leah eagerly picked up the verbal gauntlet and shared, "Because of you monsters moving to Forks, my beloved fiance turned into a wolf, didn't bother informing me of the fact, and then left me for my cousin, who was also my lifelong best friend, because of some bullshit soul mate imprinting mumbo jumbo. I was going to have my happy ever after until you guys moved to town."
Rose's brows furrowed briefly in a pang of sympathy, before she shook it off, determined to outdo Leah. "Okay, I'll admit that sucks, but it could've been a lot worse. My fucking fiance decided a week before our fairytale wedding that it would be fun for he and his fucked up friends to gang rape me, beat me black and blue, and then leave me for dead on the side of the road, just a couple blocks from my parents' house. Carlisle found me on the verge of death and decided he just had to 'save' me, by turning me into bloodsucking fiend, despite me repeatedly begging for the mercy of death. I went through three days and nights of the worst fucking pain imaginable, like being run over by a steam roller, pounded all over by a jackhammer, and filled with concentrated hydrochloric acid which proceeds to slowly eat away at every tissue and cell in your body, all at the same time. When I woke up, I found out that not only was I no longer human, have to drink blood to survive, had to hide my existence from the humans, and could never have children, but I also lost nearly all my human memories, except the ones covering what my fiance and his friends did to me that night. Those are crystal clear and will be a part of me for the rest of eternity. So I think I've earned the right to be a bitch, thank you very much."
Leah took a deep breath and shook her head, looking at Rose in a new light. "Damn. That really does suck." She sighed, then lifted her head and raised an eyebrow. "At least you have a mate."
Rose gave Emmett a soft smile, then turned back to Leah. "At least you can still have kids."
Leah grimaced. "Yeah, I'm not too sure about that. I haven't had a period since my first transformation."
Rose's eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply. "Really?"
Leah nodded, frowning sadly and looking away.
Rose was nonplussed, then gently murmured. "You're still young, and the fighting will soon be over. Then you can stop phasing and go on with your life. You'll find somebody, get married, have kids, and grow old together."
Leah gave her a half-smile. "I wish. I'm not sure that would be a good idea though. First of all, I can phase when I want to, but I can be provoked into changing even when I shouldn't. If I could control it long enough to get pregnant, what would happen if I accidentally phased while I was pregnant? What would happen to the baby? Even if I delivered a normal, healthy baby, there is still so much risk. What if I get too frustrated or upset when the baby won't stop crying? Or later when my kids are older and becoming defiant? What if I phase too close to them and scar them for life? I've seen the results of when that happens, when one of us accidentally scars someone we love. Then, on top of all that, is the fact that I'd be passing down the shape shifting gene to my children. I'd be setting them up to go through hell, just like I did." She covered her face with her hands. "Even if I reconciled all of that, the council of elders is convinced I must be barren, since I'm the only female to ever phase in all of tribal history."
Rose was at a loss, unsure of what to say. There was so much more to Leah's life than she realized. In the end, she helped the only way she could. She pulled the brave, bitter wolf into a gentle embrace and held Leah while she broke down and cried.
After a few minutes, Leah recovered enough to pull away. Wiping away her tears, she griped, "Ugh, now I'm going to have burn these clothes. They stink!"
It was clear by her light, playful tone though, that she didn't really intend to be insulting or hostile. Emmett grinned, appreciating the reduction of the tension in the air.
"I'll have to burn these too," Rose riposted, her lips twitching. "You owe me a new outfit."
"At least you don't rip your clothes every time you phase unexpectedly or find yourself naked every time you phase back," Leah grumbled. "I'm running out of clothes, and I'm seriously considering tattooing a bikini on my body for those awkward moments when I'm caught without garments."
Emmett began laughing uproariously. "Oh, shit! That must really suck, considering you're the only girl in a big group of guys. It must be like being the only girl changing in the guys' locker room."
"Tell me about it," Leah groaned. "It's even worse than that though. With the shared pack mind, I have to hear every last puerile joke, perverted fantasy, disgusting commentary, and embarrassing issue in every wolf's mind. I don't just have to hear it, but see it as well. There's a damn good reason for verbal filters and silent minds. I don't' think males and females would ever get together if they could read each other's minds. Be glad you don't have that kind of invasion of your privacy."
"Yeah, the mind reader and the psychic of the family aren't around anymore, and it's been rather nice to be able to keep our secrets to ourselves," Rose admitted. "I know their gifts come in handy for protection and defense, but we all received a little too much information about each other, if you know what I mean."
Leah sighed heavily. "Unfortunately, I know all too well. I have to see in my former fiance's mind all his tender moments with my ex-best friend."
"Oooh, that's harsh," Emmett moaned. "I guess now we know why you'd rather be here with us, than there with him. I think I'd probably choose bumming around the country with my mortal enemies over seeing that shit too."
Leah made a small sound of amusement and shrugged her shoulders.
"So while you're on a roll, what else sucks about your life?" Em asked, raising his eyebrows in curiosity.
Leah pursed her lips, then sighed sadly, her shoulders and head dropping. "My dad had a heart attack right there in my living room, the night my brother and I phased. The shock and pain of watching him wheezing and struggling for breath, then collapsing unconscious in my mom's arms while she was on the phone with the ambulance, was what pushed us both over the edge. I wasn't able to phase back to human form to help her and didn't understand what had happened to me. Seth and I had to hide so we wouldn't scare away the paramedics. Luckily, the EMTs recognized how serious Dad's attack was and had him airlifted to Seattle, where he was taken into emergency quadruple bypass surgery. I couldn't phase back until I received word he was recovering and expected to live. I felt so guilty I wasn't there for my mom while she was going through such a terrible time, waiting for news, not knowing if he'd live or die, but I couldn't enter the hospital as a giant wolf."
"Damn, that's heavy," Em replied seriously. "I'm sure your parents understood though."
Rose nodded and added, "I'm sure your dad is really proud of you too. Even though you've sacrificed a lot, from what I understand, he probably feels honored to know you're one of the tribe's protectors. I met your father when we moved to Forks. He was one of the council members brave enough to face us and renew the treaty between us."
Leah gave them a small smile and relaxed. "Thanks. You know, both Billy and Charlie were Dad's best friends, back when they were human. I guess if they're both part of your family now, then you can't be all bad."
Rose and Emmett grinned.
"Hey, you don't stink quite so bad anymore!" Em suddenly exclaimed.
Both Rose and Leah carefully inhaled, their eyes widening as they realized he was right.
"Huh, I guess we'll have to learn to be friends, if only so we can breathe when we're in the same vicinity," Rose remarked in surprise. "That's definitely a perk worth considering."
"I'll say!" Leah agreed wholeheartedly. "Especially since I don't have the luxury of just not breathing."
Em smirked and nodded.
"So what about you, Emmett?" Leah asked curiously. "How's your life . . . existence . . . whatever?"
"Oh, that's easy," Emmett replied with a grin. "I got attacked and eaten by a bear, only to be saved by an angel at the last minute. She flew me to God, who happens to look an awful lot like Carlisle, and he gave me a second chance. After burning in hell for a while for my sins, I awoke in the arms of my angel, who offered to stay with me forever. Now I'm strong, fast, healthy, smart, gorgeous, and am forever in my prime. I have the best, cleverest, most beautiful wife ever, a loving family, and unlimited funds to buy whatever my heart desires. I can kiss my beloved mate for days, without needing to stop for breath, and I can make love to my sexy angel for days without ever getting tired or needing time to recover. Not to mention, I'm the one who gets to attack and eat the bears now, instead of the other way around. All in all, my life is pretty damn good, if I do say so myself." He puffed out his chest proudly, his smug grin proclaiming his satisfaction to the world.
Rose and Leah laughed at his unabashed appreciation of the hand he'd been given, both uplifted by his simple pleasure and enjoyment, his blatant contentment with what he had. It helped remind them to focus on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives. On that note, they walked together into the hotel lobby, all three calm and smiling, at least for the moment.
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AN: I know this chapter was much more 'wordy' than usual. Don't worry, the battle starts in the next chapter. Reviews are always welcome. Thanks!