In the year 2020, Vampires took control of society and ordered all humans placed in vampire custody. The people who were not captured formed a Resistance movement, headed by the Human Council, who began to plan the Insurgence.

I am, of course, indebted to Stephenie Meyer for this world we all play in, and these characters we all adore. Additionally, I am indebted to hitntr01, who has graciously allowed me to use certain concepts from her wonderful story "In Need of Rescue", which constitute much of the background of my own story. These include: the language Vampiri, the Rules, the machines used to draw blood from humans, Manners Training, and the plot theme of Edward working as a guard at a facility holding humans. Thank you, hitntr01.

Chapter 27 – a visit from the Volturi

Day 7068 (November 7, 2039)

Eleazar and his coven left a few days after Leah and Rodrigo's visit. It was a crisp morning, the day after they left. Jasper and I were playing that old game Milton Bradley game, Battleship. I liked playing different wars on it, so I was debating whether my fleet would be Cleopatra's Nile barges, or a French fleet lead by Jules Verne's Captain Nemo's submarine the Nautilus. Whatever war we chose, I always liked to add verbal sound effects, such as "ping, ping" for the submarines, or roars for the crocodiles. It always cracked up Emmett and Jasper and made Carlisle smile. I liked making Carlisle smile.

Emmett loved his x-box and other electronic games, and I liked playing those, but I still favored simple board games the best. It seemed to me they allowed for the most creativity and ingenuity. Anyone could play, and more people wear interested in the board games at the Cullen house.

I sensed a small group of vampires were approaching the house, in a military formation. They had avoided the town by circling to the east. I told Carlisle he was about to have visitors.

I dug around in my box by the fireplace and pulled out the velvet choker Crazy had sent. When Crazy and I visited my house after escaping the Human Containment Facility, I had found a photo of my grandmother wearing a choker with a cameo at my mother's house. When Crazy realized I was actually going to be staying with Carlisle, she had a cameo-style locket made for me modeled on this photo. It had an exquisite cameo rendering of the Cullen crest in black pearl on the front, and it opened to show "99-Sweetheart / Carlisle Cullen". So it worked as a collar, though it was very much a sophisticated piece of jewelry.

I choked at the thought of wearing a collar, but Crazy suggested wearing it if Carlisle ever had unexpected visitors, so as not got either get him in trouble or draw attention to myself. To date, I hadn't worn it yet. If for no other reason than Carlisle himself hadn't given it to me, and quite frankly, it was nicer than the necklaces his two daughters wore, which also had the Cullen crest on it.

I slipped the choker on while Jasper and Carlisle went to the door.

Six vampires entered the hallway with Carlisle, all wearing long gray or black cloaks. Marcus Volturi had arrived with his personal guard.

Carlisle welcomed Marcus in Vampiri, and invited him to his study. While they went upstairs, his guard remained downstairs and settled into various positions around the living room, watching me with bright red eyes.

Maybe I get to kill a few Volturi guards, I thought. I could always claim self-defense if they moved on me. Or even if they didn't. I was pondering the situation while lying in my usual spot in front of the fireplace. Jasper had brought a wing-backed chair next to me, and was sitting directly over me, stroking my hair. It didn't escape me that he had taken the most advantageous position if he needed to protect me from the guards. He had a clear spot behind us to back me into a corner if one of them made a move.

The silence was getting on my nerves. I know vampires can stand still for long periods of time, but I was ready for action. Just then, Carlisle and Marcus came downstairs.

Marcus looked at me and said to Carlisle "So this is the source of the delightful smell. She looks so comfortable, sitting by the fire. May I sit with her?"

Carlisle bowed his head and said "Yes," while adding quietly, "I do not feed from her."

Marcus nodded and said, "Of course not, and congratulations on finding her at last." Carlisle gave him an odd look and then a slight nod. Marcus took a long look between Carlisle, Jasper and I, raised an eyebrow, and smiled knowingly. I decided to ask the mind-reader about that later. Right now the mind-reader was working on threat assessments from Marcus' guard, and relaying messages for me both to and from the human council.

Marcus came to the fireplace and pulled off his cloak. He was wearing a hunter-green shirt with brown slacks, in a style more suited to the 19th century. He leaned over me, his red eyes staring at me, and he put one of his long, bony fingers under my chin. Jasper and Carlisle both tensed, but he was only looking at my cameo.

"It's a beautiful piece," Marcus said. "It appears to be the work of one of Italy's master craftsman, yet he will only do necklace chains for me. How did you get him to do this cameo?" he asked Carlisle.

Carlisle had never seen the cameo, but he kept his composure. "It was a gift," he replied. "I'm not familiar with the details."

"Well it looks lovely on her," Marcus replied, as he settled next to me on one of the long pillows in front of the fire. Carlisle brought over another wing-backed chair and seated himself across from Jasper. "Seeing this house makes me realize that my brothers have gone too far," sighed Marcus. "It is quite pleasant to have a relaxed human in front of a fire. I haven't had such a friend in many years. Caius always took it as a sign of weakness." He stroked m y hair. "I guess I don't have to ask where or how you found her. I'm sure wherever she was, once you sensed her presence you did what you had to do to bring her here. Still quite young though. I don't suppose she speaks Italian, does she?"

Marcus switched to Italian and addressed me directly: "Can you understand me, little one?" he asked in Italian.

I looked at Carlisle, who nodded. "Yes," I replied in Italian.

Marcus looked up at Carlisle in amazement then back down at me thoughtfully. He paused for a moment, and I watched the reflection of the fire in his red eyes. Sitting this close to him I could see the almost transparent quality of his skin. He was tall, with long legs and long arms, though he was graceful and fluid in his movements.

"Are you happy here with Carlisle?" he finally asked, still speaking Italian.

"Yes, very happy," I answered in Italian.

I was waiting for a ruling from the Human Council. Was I to execute Marcus? Or talk to him about the resistance, since Aro and Caius generally did not involve him?

The mind-reader warned me that the scene was looking familiar to Carlisle. Marcus frequently had charmed human woman into being his willing blood donors over the centuries. He liked returning to his quarters and finding an elegantly attired human woman waiting for him. He would sit with her by the fire, move her hair away from her shoulders, and feed gently from her neck. He had the control to only take a little blood at a time, so the women often stayed with him for years as companions. The position he was sitting in next to me reminded Carlisle of the way he sat next to his human donors prior to the Event.

The four of us sat and stared at the flames for a while, while his guard stood stock-still at attention. The deaths of Felix and Demetri, followed a few days ago by Renata and Chelsea, had obviously rattled his guard. But they need to stop thinking about how much they want to drain me, and focus on possible threats to themselves and their master.

The answer finally came back from the Human Council. I was to do nothing unless attacked.

Eventually Marcus rose and left. He gave me a kiss on the top of my head and went out the door, after thanking Carlisle for his hospitality.

Carlisle and Jasper didn't relax for over an hour.

"I guess you know who that was," Carlisle said to me at last. "He was looking for Eleazar, and he had missed him by a few hours. So now they are going to Alaska."

Then Carlisle knelt in front of me and reached for my locket.

"It is quite lovely," he commented, examining it. I moved to take it off so I could hand it to him, but he caught my hand.

"I like it on you. Do you like wearing it?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, I like wearing it," I answered. "It was sent by a friend, who took the crest from one of your business cards. There was a photo at my house of my grandmother wearing a cameo on a choker. My friend had this made using that photo as a model. She said you would know better than to try to make me wear a collar, but that I should keep this handy. If anyone other than family came to the house while you were out, or even while you were home, to put it on to keep you out of trouble.

I wasn't sure you would like it, since you didn't give it to me. I felt that I would wearing your family crest without your permission," I added hesitantly.

"I like it very much. May I ask who made it, even Marcus was taken with the craftsmanship?" said Carlisle, still eying the design closely.

"My friend said she called in a favor. The jeweler usually only makes chains, as they take less time. He carved this cameo this as a special favor to her. It took him nearly three days to finish it."

"Please wear it as much as you like. You are a member of this family now," said Carlisle, looking at Jasper. Jasper smiled and nodded.

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