"— using her to get to us. Since when does the Volturi care about humans?"
"Babe, you should've seen him —"
The argument stalled as the front door abruptly shut behind Alec, Jasper, and I. Alec stood firm behind me, just close enough to assure me of his presence. It was clear we heard the end of their conversation, and likely that both Jasper and Alec were privy to it long before I was.
However, the increasingly awkward atmosphere originated more from the fact that they'd gathered as a welcoming committee in the small entryway rather than from the topic of their argument. Emmett was the only familiar face and he beamed at me while throwing his arm around a fuming blonde beside him. She didn't push his arm away, which I expected of someone as upset as her. Instead, she gave in to his wordless comfort. Though, I suspected, only slightly and with a great deal of reluctance.
"Saffiya," Jasper's accent revealed itself in my name. "This is Rosalie."
Rosalie refused to acknowledge us, but her profile alone caught me off guard. Before I could reflect more on her appearance, Emmett demanded my attention.
"How's it hanging, Kid."
I smiled at him to keep from sharing my displeasure at the nickname. Although, the word slipped into his sentence more casually than Felix's attempts. Jasper continued the introductions.
"And Alice—"
I could physically feel Alec holding back a complaint in the form of a growl as I was swiftly taken from him by a bubbly brunette. The rest of her family had noticed Alec's restraint, though she paid him and her family's trepidation no mind.
The girl, Alice, grinned and held both my hands. She reintroduced herself with a bright face, "I'm Alice."
"Saffiya," I offered politely. "It's wonderful to meet you all. Thank you for...having us."
Now cognizant of the boy behind me, Alice slowly lifted my hand, guiding me in a slow twirl. Shining gold eyes examined me with unexplainable glee. "Oh, you're just adorable! Don't you think so, Rose?"
The blonde previously arguing with Emmett turned at her name. Finally having her full attention, I was able to take her in with greater detail. All vampires were beautiful and Heidi stood out as the most outwardly alluring of the Volturi members. This young woman, however, made headlines in a different way. She was captivating. An independent, elegant aura inspired an admiration of the vampire. A perspective that I'd reserved for women like Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn. She was Helen of Troy, beautiful. The face that launched a thousand ships. I hadn't met many vampires yet, but she definitely gave Heidi a run for her money.
She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "She's not a doll, Alice." Her eyes flickered to me, and I realized that I was still staring. She hissed, "what."
"Aw, babe. I think she's starstruck."
A gentle squeeze on my arm released my tongue and I stumbled to apologize. "Sorry. It's just, I don't think I'll ever get used to the vampire..." I substituted the many adjectives for beauty that rolled around in my head. "Differences."
Rosalie jumped on my sentence. "You will," she promised in a bittersweet voice. Narrowing her eyes at Alec, she continued somewhat snidely. "You don't have a choice."
Alec hissed, "careful, Cullen."
"The hypocrisy is underwhelming." Alec's body tensed even more and I left Alice to move in front of Alec. My lack of subtlety to place myself between the two was clear, though worth it to hopefully encourage a more moderated tantrum from my...companion.
Apparently, just like the Volturi's guards, Carlisle's coven held just as much resentment for the Volturi as was returned in kind.
"Until then," I smiled at her and lifted my hand. "I'm Saffiya."
Rosalie appeared distressed by my nonchalance, her expression quickly shaping into one of tentativeness. She sent a sharp scowl behind me once again before turning from the room. I frowned.
"Don't worry, I think she likes you." Emmett sent me a grin and a wink before he followed after her.
Alice stepped in to diffuse the remaining tension in the room. "You must be hungry?" She took my hand again, leading Alec and I to an open kitchen, nestled between a living room and double doors leading out to a spacious deck. The glass walls provided a view of the mainland, blurry in the distance, with only a glimpse of a sun reflected sea.
The kitchen was designed with a stone outline, producing an atmosphere quite unique from the castle in Volterra. Alice directed us to sit at the island as the woman at the stove turned to acknowledge us. Alec opted to stand, his hand trailing lightly across my back. His subtle way of informing me of his placement, once again. His behaviour seemed to have the unknown woman vigilant, but she radiated a natural warmth that superseded the connection.
"Saffiya, this is Esme." A warm smile was aimed at me from the new woman. She was homely, but attractive, giving off a similar vibe as the walls around her. Her honeyed eyes offered a wisdom unique to her, despite the colour being shared with her family. She reminded me of the sisters at the abbey. It struck me then, how little I knew of the Cullens when it came to their individuality.
"You must be Saffiya. It's wonderful to finally meet you." Her posture gave the impression of wanting to approach us, but she must have decided against it.
"It's nice to meet you too." She seemed overly delighted with my learned politeness.
Her eyes left mine and I was surprised to discover that she was sending an identically genuine smile to Alec. "Lovely to see you again, Alec."
He didn't say anything at first so I shoved my elbow into his stomach, pressuring him to return the greeting to our host. He did so with reluctance, "you as well, Esme." I had to stifle a laugh when Esme had turned, hiding it behind a small cough. The polite response not only made him seem less melancholy, but nearly revealed the youth he'd learned to hide.
Unlike me, Esme didn't dwell on his response. Which, I suppose, wasn't all that surprising. It had been less than a year since Alec had visited the family. And he must not have been a total prick if they were willing to open their home to him again.
"You have a wonderful home, Mrs. Cullen." Manners were essential, and an easy fallback. Especially when the only other guest decided to leave the socialising to me.
She removed the pot from the stovetop before turning to face us. "Call me Esme, dear," she flashed a smile of clear grace before returning to her task. "And thank you."
"She designed it herself," a familiar, smooth voice entered the kitchen. Carlisle appeared beside Esme, the two sharing a kiss in greeting. Carlisle's eyes sparkled as they parted. I don't think I'd ever seen a couple so genuinely, naturally in love.
I blinked, realizing that Carlisle was looking at me expectantly. I immediately looked up at Alec, not wanting to give away the fact that I hadn't been paying attention. It might have been obvious anyhow, but Alec seamlessly stepped in for me, despite wanting to maintain his aloof presentation. The moment did not go unnoticed by the couple. Their entertainment at our interaction offered a brief reprieve in the underlying tension.
Pleasantries out of the way, Carlisle crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, growing serious. "I understand you two ran into a little trouble on the way here?"
I snorted, "that's an understatement." I was given a courteous smile, but quickly understood that I was not the one he desired an answer from.
"Have you shared with Aro, yet?"
I could feel Alec's body shift behind me. "I plan to relay it to the Masters once Saffiya is settled."
"I would like to join you, if that's alright." I wasn't sure how Alec responded, but Carlisle pushed off the counter. I frowned, caught off guard by his urgency. "My office is through here," he started to lead Alec out. Only, the boy hadn't left me, his fingers actually entangling themselves in the loop on my jeans as if they would keep him rooted to me. Carlisle offered a reassuring nod of his head. The charm of a doctor's bedside manner was evident in his approach. "Saffiya is in good hands."
A supportive smile from Esme gave me the encouragement to look up at Alec. He was much closer to me now that I was facing him and my cheek grazed the fabric of his shirt. "Go," I murmured, as if it made our conversation private. "You hate the smell anyways." He squinted at me, his eyes flickering with distaste to the plate Esme was placing in front of me. Alec gave in, agreeing to go with Carlisle.
"Saffiya," the doctor added. "I'd like to make sure you're physically alright as well after what happened."
"I've already checked," I hadn't yet, so the response came out as defensive.
In fact, in a rare happenstance, I had forgotten to check my body for injury following a physical event. It was a mistake that could have cost me my life, and without his reminder, I had no idea how long it could have been until I did remember.
I tried not to let on to the vampires how nervous I felt about such a dim-witted move. Whenever I had a minor accident at the nunnery, someone, usually Misha, took me to the hospital for a full examination. It didn't matter whether I stumbled, tripped, fell, or did anything halfway risky. It had annoyed me to no end, as usually I was fine. But, the potential for an unexpected physical trauma gave the fear validity. I could be bleeding internally and have no idea anything was wrong. If a simple fall happened to any other kid, it wouldn't have mattered. However, I didn't always understand that I wasn't exactly a normal kid.
"Indulge me, then?" I shook my head up and down, agreeing reluctantly. He was just so nice. Alec followed Carlisle through another door, throwing one more look to me in case I'd changed my mind.
"Thank you," I turned back to Esme, accepting the fork she offered. "For thinking of me. This looks amazing."
She gave me an affectionate smile. "Of course! We've only just arrived ourselves, but I'll have the fridge stocked in the morning." I smiled in appreciation as other members of her family rounded the corner, as if on cue. Alice led them, and I hadn't noticed she'd left the room in the first place. I briefly wondered if they'd waited for Alec to depart before joining us.
Jasper winked at me, but paused before passing through the same door Carlisle and Alec had just gone through. Alice jumped up on the counter where Carlisle had been, swinging her legs back and forth in delight.
"You'll both need some new clothes," Alice added on to Esme's comment. "Rose and I can take you shopping, if you'd like." Her excitement made me smile just as Emmett dropped into a stool beside me at the island. He leaned back cooly, grinning mischievously, and I couldn't help but wonder what he knew that I didn't.
His appearance paired with Alice's suggestion made the absence of their last member quite evident.
"Is Rosalie alright? I didn't mean to offend her—"
Emmett shrugged off the concern. "If anything you flattered her. She'll come around."
I changed the subject. "Exactly how many...vampires are in your coven?
"Four of us stayed back, just in case."
"Right. Alec said they visited your home in America." I didn't specify who 'they' were, but the Cullens exchanged looks of agitation, as if I would break down at the reminder of why we were here. The pause that followed made me think there was another detail they weren't sharing. Out of habit, I didn't push. Though it was unlikely I'd give Alec the same courtesy.
"You have nothing to worry about dear. You're safe here." If only that was my real fear.
All at once, the three turned to look behind me a moment before Carlisle's voice caused me to turn in my seat. "Saffiya, why don't we go to my office." Right. The check up. I nodded, hopping off the stool and following him.
His study was through a small hallway and another door. Books lined the wall and a classic, oak desk was placed in a corner. Though, it looked as if it had been pushed to the side to make room for a thin table, like the kind used for massage and muscle therapy. I assumed this was where he wanted me to sit, seeing as the setup around it could mimic a doctor's office. He already had a mini screen set up by the table, an empty blue case beside it.
"Where's Alec?" I asked him, as he clasped a stethoscope around his neck. An unnecessary action considering the whole vampire thing, but probably habitual for his line of work.
He couldn't hide the smile that slipped onto his lips, as if my question had some sort of humour in it. "Speaking with his sister."
"It's a nice setup you've got here." Satisfied with the answer, I grinned and lifted up onto the table. The medical equipment in the room had to be worth thousands of dollars. "Is this even legal?"
A gracious laugh came from Carlisle as he walked over to me. He encouraged me to sit up straight and placed a hand on my back, between my shoulder blades. "Breathe in, and out again."
"I've already kinda checked." I lied again. "I really do think I'm okay." He smiled reassuringly, but didn't let me talk him out of his process.
Though he resorted to words before he moved on to his next step. "Is there anywhere specific where you could have been injured? Did you hit your head?"
"My head is fine. I did fall on my shoulder, but—"
"I'll need to check for a break. It would be wise to examine your ribs as well." My eyes widened and I could tell my heart picked up for a second. I forced myself to breathe under Carlisle's suddenly apprehensive watch, trying not to trigger any alarms.
I chuckled unconvincingly, "don't tell me you've got an X-ray machine on hand?" The joke got through to him and he showed me an object that could have been a microphone for children.
He sent me yet another award-winning smile. This family sure had a lot of happiness in them. "Next best thing."
He explained the equipment he was using to be a sonographic exam. Yeah. That kind of sonography. The microphone (which was apparently called a transducer) would tell him if I'd fractured anything, as well as provide an image of the muscles, blood vessels, etc. in my body. Blood vessels meant he could detect the bruise on my hip and abdomen…at least I assumed so. It was better not to cause a stir over something that would go away in a few days, so my mind raced for ideas to talk him out of checking my stomach.
When he began to move from my shoulder, I asked him to check my hand in an attempt to distract him. He paused and I think he knew what I was doing. However, somehow, for some reason, he let it go and put the equipment down before focusing on rewrapping my hand.
After he was satisfied and before he had a chance to question me on my suspicious behaviour, there was a knock on the door. Alice entered a second later with folded clothes in her hands. Carlisle zipped up the equipment without another word and left us to it.
"These are Rose's. We thought you might be ready for a change of clothes." She set them on the desk.
I nodded, grateful. "Thank you."
"We can go and buy you both a few things as well. While you're here." This was the second time she'd mentioned going out for clothes, so I figured it must be important to her. I nodded, though I doubted Alec would be happy I'd agreed that we would leave the protection the house provided. Although, I got the impression that Alice's persistence might override Alec's exasperation, leaving him with little choice in the matter.
She closed the door behind her. I unfolded the clothes she'd given me, grateful to replace my jeans with the shorts she'd provided. I hesitated before unfolding the shirt, some silly part of me did not want to take Alec's sweater off. However, my shirt underneath had been ripped with Travis' last grab for me, so it would be silly not to change. I lucked out - Alice had given me a tank top.
I glanced out the window. The current weather nearly required a second layer, so with shorts, I reasoned that keeping the sweater over the new tank would be acceptable. I tucked the front of the sweater into the shorts to look a bit more put together before departing for the kitchen. I found my way back easy enough, following the laughter like breadcrumbs.
Carlisle and Esme were absent. Though Esme had cleaned up from my meal. I felt a small rush of guilt, wishing I could have lent a hand. Alec wasn't in the room, but Rosalie and Jasper had joined the two more social members of their coven. Alice was still sitting on the counter and Jasper stood between her legs. His eyes were on me, as if immediately zoning in on my emotional flip. Emmett hadn't moved either, but Rosalie was smizing at the other end of the island.
I was not asked to explain my outfit decision, but the first thing Alice did was look me over and exchange a knowing look with Rosalie. I pretended not to have seen it. Though Rosalie did notice my wandering eyes, assuming she knew the answer to the question I wasn't prepared to ask.
"He's out there." She seemed upset about the ordeal, which sent a flash of insecurity through me. I nodded in silent thanks. Eager to escape the curious gazes, I turned to open the doors to the outside area. For some reason, a part of me missed the outrageously weighted doors of the castle in comparison.
Despite the murmur of mist in the air, I had never seen an ocean as devastatingly blue as Croatia's waters. Clear enough to see the sedimentary changes underwater from miles away. The sun reflected off of it and back into the world, leaving a shimmer of light on the surface.
Alec was easy to spot. He stood with his back to me, facing out towards the ocean view. I could see the cell phone he held to his ear, but he turned with a subtle smile. His hand reached out for me, but his expression turned sour as he faced the sea again.
I crossed the deck and took his hand, settling by his side. The corner of Alec's lips tilted up again before the person on the other line said something that made him roll his eyes. A specific reactive pattern reserved only for his sister.
"No, Jane." He made no attempt to hide the exasperation in his voice. "I find it to be entirely arbitrary."
A quick bout of giddiness entered me as I ducked under Alec's arm, spinning with my back against the railing. Alec's eyebrows lifted, gazing down at me with amusement. He repositioned his arm to secure me between his body and the railing. The move brought us closer together and I took a deep breath, trying to quell the butterflies in my stomach.
My hands moved to his chest of their own accord, my fingers playing with the buttons on his new shirt. I pointedly ignored the smirk that I knew would have appeared on his face, as even I could feel my heartbeat increase with our proximity.
A sharp tone launched itself from the phone. "You're not even listening to me."
"Of course, I am, Sister." Alec quickly picked up on his lapse in the conversation while I suppressed a laugh. "What else would I be doing?"
I could hear the dramatic sigh on her end as clear as day. "Hello, human." Immediately, I stole the phone from Alec and pressed it to my ear.
"Jane, I miss you." Alec rolled his eyes as I turned to face the ocean. I rambled into the speaker as Alec's now free hand joined his other on the railing. He pressed a kiss to my shoulder, looking out at the Adriatic waters as I chatted happily with his sister. "Don't mind him, he's being moody again."
Alec's fingers tucked my hair behind my ear as I continued, "Croatia's amazing. He's a little distracted by the stunning view here."
"That I am, Tesorina." [My Darling] His voice was low, reverberating in his chest and I swear I felt my heart stop. Alec seemed pleased with my reaction, a smirk appearing on his face. I wet my lips and his eyes fell to the action. The air grew thicker and I swallowed, forgetting how to breathe. My stomach fluttered without my permission, refusing to settle as a sudden timidness overcame me.
Jane scoffed in disgust on the other line and the phone beeped. She'd ended the call. Alec carefully took the device from my hand, his eyes never leaving mine as he placed it on one of the tables near us. I watched him as he stepped back and tilted his head.
"Walk with me?"
~•~•~•~
Goodness, I've missed this. And all of you!
Thank you for all your reviews and favourites and follows and for reading in general! We passed the year mark of this story about a month and a half ago, I think. I've never worked on and stuck with something so long and hard in my life, especially while going in and out of an 'Alec/Twilight' phase. So, thank you to those that keep coming back and those that are returning as you re-enter an Alec phase. I appreciate your support and it is so cool to be able to share this with you.
Humbly,
Ro
