Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight


Chapter Forty-Four

*Abby's POV*

I walked through the corridors of Volterra with a racing mind. We were going to attempt this soon, yet I wasn't sure how well this would go. Now that we have a personal item of Ness's, hopefully the connection will be stronger and maybe…Just maybe, we can figure out a way to get out of here. This rush of hope and desperation grew within me and there was no way I'd be able to rest tonight.

"Hey there, sparky," Lucas said to me from where he was leaning against a nearby wall.

"Hey Rider," I replied as I kept walking.

"Where ya going?" he asked as he started to follow.

"Just around the castle," I replied innocently. "Gonna maybe get some fresh air or something."

"Oh?" He inquired with raised eyebrows. "May I join?"

"Why not," I answered, grinning at him. He grinned too as we walked down the hall. The only sound was the clicking of our shoes.

"So….How have you been?" He asked, his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket.

I shrugged, "Yeah know, the same I've been the last two years."

"Wow, that's a very consistent mood," He said, his lips quirking into a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, "Eh. It's not terrible…What about you? How are you feeling on this fine day?"

He chuckled, "Probably the same as you."

"That's a bold accusation," I teased.

"Probably," He replied, chuckling as he bumped into me playfully. With curious eyes, Lucas then went to gingerly tug at the end of my hairdo, "I like the braids today, ya trying to look younger than you actually are?"

"No," I replied, fiddling with the end of my pigtailed braids. "Lizzy and I braided last night. It reminds us of the girls back home. Ness, Lily, and Jen used to do our hair and...I don't know. It's silly."

"No. Not at all. In fact, they're really nice," Lucas mentioned fondly. "You should try doing my hair sometime."

"You'd to grow your hair out first," I pointed out slyly.

"That's a done deal," he said, causing me to laugh. "I think I would look good with braids, don't you think?"

"I'm sure you'll look absolutely handsome," I joked.

"Oh really? You think I'll look good?" Lucas asked wittily, sending a wink my way.

"Jeez, don't push it," I chuckled, my cheeks starting to burn with embarrassment for some reason.

"Someone thinks I look good!" He sung childishly as he began to dance around me.

"You're such a smooth talker, Rider," I muttered, shaking my head.

"What can I say? Ladies love me," Lucas exclaimed, opening the flaps of his leather jacket to playfully show off.

"That's debatable," I remarked.

"Ohhh, that's cold, Sparky," Lucas said, pretending to be mock hurt as he covered a hand over his chest. "I'm wounded!"

"Suck it up!" I giggled, causing him to smirk.

We both laughed and walked further the corridors until I could see the door I was looking for. Lucas winked at me and kept rambling about his day so I could sneak into the room.

Very quietly and gently, I turned the handle and entered. Inside it was fairly dark except for some light streaming from the stain glass window. The only pieces of furniture in the room were a bed and a chair, which someone was occupying. The chair was currently positioned in front of that window and the person sitting on it had a heavy focus on the outdoors.

Lucas stood by the door, making sure no one could tell we were in here while I entered the room further. I slowly approached the figure siting in the chair and knelt in front of her. Once upon a time, this used to be the zombified witch with glassy eyes and ratty hair. Her hair was still unkept, but the paleness in her eyes was gone. She looked peaceful as she just stared. Less zombie like and more friendly.

"Hey, Meredith," I said, giving her a small smile.

The witch blinked before looking down at me. She smiled and took my hands in hers, "Oh, Abrianna, it's you! I'm sorry darling, I was just…I was just trying to remember."

"I know," I replied, squeezing her hands in a comforting manner. "I came to see how you were doing."

"Quite well. I remembered something about my husband," She muttered to me deep in thought, "and my daughters…I might have a son as well…."

I smiled wistfully, "Meredith, I came to ask you a question. Have you figured anything out yet?"

She sighed and cupped my cheek, "Unfortunately, no dear. But you should get going to your sister. That idea you all came up with will suffice for now. I can see it being in your favor, darling. Keep your focus on that."

"Okay," I said, still rubbing her hand. "Do you want me to stay with you some more?"

"Thank you, but I'll be fine. Go to Lucas. I think you have more important things to worry about than me," She said, kissing my hands.

"Feel better," I whispered softly before walking away. I could feel the overwhelming emotions go through me as I shut the door on Meredith. I felt bad about leaving the witch all alone to herself as she stared blankly at the world around her. I never meant to become close with her- the Volturi's weapon that is. It was an accident really. Lizzy and I found her a few months ago and ever since then we've been secretly visiting her and each time it's like she gets a piece of herself back. I think so...

With one last glance I then walked towards Lucas. He placed a hand on my shoulder in comfort while I shrugged. "Come on, let's go to Dru and Iris," he said.

"I thought maybe something would come to her. Maybe something to speed this process up," I confessed lamely.

"Hey! Turn that frown upside down, Spark! We're almost there!" Lucas said to me jovially. "I can practically taste it!"

"I wish I felt the same way as you did, Rider," I murmured dryly.

"That's because you're the ultimate pessimist," He teased.

"You're not wrong." I chuckled.

"Come on, let's find the others," Lucas said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. We walked until we got to Dru and Iris's room. They were currently playing board games with my brothers and cousin on the floor.

"Hey guys!" I said, causing the boys to look up and grin at me.

"Abby!" Bo chirped, jumping towards me. I laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Whatcha guys up to?" I asked as he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist n a hug.

"We're playing some games before we have to go to bed," Bo explained.

"Tomorrow father, Uncle Marcus, and Uncle Aro will be watching our training," Wes explained, his voice sounding rather unsettling. He and Stefano shared worried looks with one another.

"Don't worry boys, it'll be okay," Dru reassured them, running a hand through Wes's hair. "I used to have to do them growing up, and it'll be okay. They won't get mad."

"He's been getting mad though," Stefano said softly. "Last time they watched us, father said I didn't master it properly. He made me practice with my powers for another five hours."

"It'll be fine, boys. I promise," I said, kneeling beside them. "I need to talk to Dru and Iris for a few moments, so how about you guys get ready for bed and we'll read you a story before Chelsea comes to make sure you're in bed."

"Alright," they all said simultaneously before leaving me alone with the other adults.

"So…I hear you can connect us even better to the family?" I asked Iris softly.

She nodded, "Yes, we're just waiting for Lizzy and we're going to try to do this soon. We're thinking the day the brothers leave for Greece which is also the day before your birthday. Hopefully, we'll have an easier time doing this. Since Lizzy can project her shield even better…The brothers are too occupied with everything else going on to realize what we're about to do."

"Do you think this'll get us anywhere?" I asked softly.

"Abs, we'll get out. The one time Lucas and I tried it didn't work, but this time we'll get there. We have people on the outside rooting for us. We'll do this," Dru whispered, clasping my hand.

"We have to do it sometime this week," Iris declared. "The sooner, the better. The brothers are getting ready for war. They keep leaving the castle which obviously means something and we can't forget that the stakes are high considering how many people are now joining the guard."

"Don't remind me," Lucas muttered, taking a spot besides us. "This is going to be one hell of a war, isn't it?"

"That it is," I answered, looking back at Lucas with worried eyes. He gave me a glance of reassurance before grasping my free hand. This was going to be hard, but let's just hope that we're not on the losing side because if we mess this up, we could let the Volturi be one step closer to destroying everything we hold dear.

*Lizzy's POV*

I closed the book I had been reading for the last hour and placed it in my lap. I look up all around at the Volturi's library. It was massive and in the last two years I feel like I've gone through at least a good seventy-five percent of it, five percent I had already read, and the rest was still to come. I liked to read and being stuck in this castle and reading helped me gain knowledge. Through this, I did learn Greek and Russian which isn't terrible. Now I'm fluent in eight languages. I guess I'm still the winner in my family, unless Ness beat me. I know she was trying to learn German before I was taken, and Aidan was getting better in Spanish…

"Hey there, Little Cullen."

I quirk my head to see Felix walking into the room. I smiled at him as he sat down across from me in the red velvet arm chair.

"Well look who it is, the big baddie of Volturi castle," I teased, causing him to smirk at me.

"Just came to check in on you," he said.

"I'm fine," I insisted, letting my head rest against the armchair. "I just finished a book, that's all."

"You tend to get more somber when you read," He mentioned softly.

I shrugged, "I guess…It reminds me of home, that's all."

"Oh right," He replied, swallowing hard.

I sighed, "You know, my mother and I used to read every night? Have various discussions about literature…She loved to read. English as her strong suit, taught me everything in that subject. Showed me my first poem to teaching me how to read Shakespeare…By the time I was a year old I had memorized the entire play of Romeo and Juliet. Not my favorite…Probably Macbeth or Much Ado About Nothing. But none the less, I memorized it for her."

"Your mother was a fan of Shakespeare?" Felix mused.

I chuckled, "I mean, she liked his work. More than my father did. Anyway, she always had a thing for star crossed lovers. Cathy and Heathcliff, Romeo and Juliet…Hell, she loved them all. It was her soft spot, that and the Bronte sisters."

"The Bronte sisters," Felix mentioned with a soft chuckle. "I knew them you know. Died very young, but brilliant women."

"You knew the Bronte sisters?" I questioned incredulously. "And why has this little piece of information never gotten to me?"

Felix smirked, "Well, I don't know. I've met a lot of people. You know, Shakespeare could technically be added onto that list. Saw one of his plays in the 1600s."

"Jeez. You surprise me each and every day," I said, chuckling. "I've never met a famous person."

"You don't know that," Felix said to me. "Who knows, maybe one day you'll cross paths with the next president of your country or the next person to write a best selling novel. You never know."

"True," I said, shaking my head in laughter. Felix chuckled too as I let my fingers glide across the cover of the book. I bit my lip, "You know...You never talk much about your past."

Felix paused at this, "No…I don't…"

"In all these two years that's the most I ever got about your backstory," I remarked, looking up at him curiously. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you exactly get changed?"

Felix looked at me with an intensity in his red eyes, "I…Well, I don't know how much you want to hear, but…I don't know, maybe another day, Little Cullen."

"Please tell me," I begged. "You've heard so much about my family, what about yours? I mean, your human family that is."

He sighed and bit his lip, "Well…I mean, I was born in the 1500s. Southern Italy. My father was a blacksmith for a nobleman, my mother took care of me and my siblings. It was a typical peasants life in the sixteenth century…Then, when I was sixteen I decided to leave home. Traveled to England of all places and then the Reformation happened…"

"You were part of the Protestant Reformation?" I whispered in awe. "Really?"

Felix chuckled, "Putting it that way makes me sound ancient, but I was there. I was recognized for my strength and well, it's a bit blurry, but I found myself participating in revolts. I was known for my fighting skill and my last day as a human…I fought against almost twenty men. Would've made it out, but one of the bastards stabbed me in an artery."

"Oh God," I whispered.

"I almost bled to death," He explained, chuckling darkly. "Aro noticed me. He saw my potential and well, the Volturi changed me. Showed me this life and I've been with the guard ever since then."

"That's a long time," I said softly. "Does immortality…Does it ever bore you?"

"Asking a lot of deep questions today aren't ya little Cullen?" Felix asked amusingly.

I gave him a sly grin, "What can I say? I'm inquisitive."

"That you are," he said, chuckling. He paused for a moment, "Immortality…It's not as special as morality. Each day isn't as life altering since you're not up against some clock…It has it's perks and it's had it's faults…But, it'll always be interesting that's for sure."

"Don't you ever get lonely?" I asked him. "I mean…You…."

"What?" Felix questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Never mind," I said, shaking my head. "It's a dumb question."

"What?"

"You don't have a mate," I pointed out. "A lot of you don't have mates here…Didn't you ever fall in love?"

Felix scoffed, "Love? Here? Not a chance, Little Cullen."

"But I mean, many vampires I know have found their mates," I said. "My parents, my aunts and uncles, my grandparents, don't you wonder?"

"No…Let's not talk about my love life again," Felix said, shaking his head at me. "Just know, not everything is like those tall tales your family used to paint for you."

"Excuse me?" I questioned with raised eyebrows. "I just asked a simple question. You don't have to ridicule me for it."

"I'm not ridiculing you, I'm just saying not everyone gets to meet their soulmate and live happily ever after like half the people in your family," Felix stated viscously. "Your sister has had hers since birth! Not all of us are that fortunate!"

"You think that's fortunate? Do you know how weird it is to have an imprint!" I fumed. "You love them, but you don't know where you're supposed to go with it!"

"Oh right, I forgot you had one too," Felix snorted, rolling his eyes. "How could I forget!"

"Will you stop that," I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him. "You're depicting me like some ignorant child!"

Felix looked at me with blazing red eyes, "Well you act like it!"

"At least I don't act like an immature one!" I growled.

Before Felix could respond, the sound of footsteps caught me off. The two of us looked to where Lucas was standing in the doorway, "Bad time?"

"No," I said, shaking my head as I got up. "What's the matter Lucas?"

"The girls were looking for you, Little Red," he explained, jerking a thumb behind him. "I mean, we can put it-"

"No, we'll do it now," I said, shaking my head. I looked at Felix, "We're just finished here."

"Yes we are," Felix replied stiffly, standing up. "Anyway, you should all be heading to bed. It's almost feeding time for the brothers and the guard."

"Don't want to be around you guys when you violently murder innocents," I mumbled under my breath.

Felix glared at me, but I ignored him as I walked towards Lucas. I could tell he wanted to say something to me, but the two of us just walked in silence towards the other corridor. I wasn't in the mood and even though I wanted to go home, I just wanted to get away from the confusion that was my life right now.


A/N: So the girls are in a bit of a pickle right now. Don't worry, they're figuring this all out. Next time we'll hear from the Cullen's again, but in the meantime keep on a look out for the next update :)