Daylight peeked out from behind the curtains in Alec's room, my only hint as to the time of day since the vampire decided he was too good for alarm clocks. Or clocks in general. Upon returning from our excursion, we spent a great deal of time into the night debating the relevance of morality in times of war. I won. However, Alec had woken me up at an ungodly hour (not even a hint of light in the entire room, mind you) to inform me there was a meeting with his team and promised to return. I think he did it to brag, proud of their work, and I recall cursing him for waking me.

He'd left the door cracked, and just as I reached the handle to close it, a screech barrelled into the room. This scream was more than frustration. It escaped past teeth, sharp and violent. It was ireful and vivid, and worry filled me more than fear at the noise; because it sounded a lot like Jane.

I hurriedly slipped between the doors, only to see the twins on opposite sides of the L-shaped couch. My gaze flickered from one twin to the next, trying to fabricate some context to negate the most apparent deduction for their postures – I could not.

The twins were fighting.

The siblings often engaged in petulant back and forths, sly comments, and teasing remarks, but it was done in good humour. It emphasized their adoration for each other. For two tactful but sensitive teenagers, they were remarkably good-natured after a thousand years with their sibling. But this was different. Neither acknowledged me as I cued into the conversation, and I was hit with extraordinary deja vu.

"I only wished to protect you." Alec took a step forward, genuine distress colouring his voice as his arm extended to further convince her. Jane stuck her nose in the air with an indignant scoff.

"That's a dirty tactic, brother." From his expression, it was unlikely he had identified the pattern. She didn't allow him to defend himself, "and it's not good enough."

"What's going on?" I couldn't help but shrink away slightly as both twins turned to me as if finally registering my presence. They stilled, neither taking their eyes off the other, like two predators in the wild, a starved earth and a single carcass between them.

Alec's eyes softened, finding mine, "nothing."

With a petty growl, Jane lost her predatory stance but bared her teeth, "stay out of this, human."

"That is enough, Jane." Alec's voice shifted, firm and deep, no longer matching his sister's passion.

Her pink lips tightened into a sneer. "Fine. Shall we share?" Alec's hand balled into a fist, and the glare he fixed on his sister disturbed me. This was a real fight, and one twin I could handle but both? Against the other? Out of my league. Jane was absolutely delighted to threaten him, "would you like the honours?"

"Enough." She took this as a no and turned, more than willing to fill me in herself.

Before she could, Alec appeared before me, blocking my line of sight. Jane didn't seem to care, "Aro has refrained from assigning me missions without Alec since you both returned." Ignoring her, he tugged gently on my bicep, requesting to turn back around the way I came. I sidestepped him, ignoring his immature attempt at forcing his sister to give up. Plus, I didn't fancy the reaction if I had gone with him.

Jane continued staring down her brother, condemning him, "I have learned that Alec was asked to lead his precious task force in return for the Masters barring me from leaving for any missions."

My expression tightened in a pout as I looked for Alec's eyes, mixed emotions forcing me to check, "Alec, you didn't…."

Alec was already shaking his head as if he could deny the accusation. I shrugged his hand off my arm, and he lashed back at his sister. "It is not as misintended as you portray, dear sister."

"Old habits, dear brother. Saffiya remembers quite well."

"Jane." Alec hissed through clenched teeth, narrowing his eyes and demanding a forfeit from his twin. As if such a thing were possible. He had no chance of 'winning' in any sense of the word for the situation, turning back and forth between his sister and me, searching for an ounce of compromise, some understanding from one of us. He received none.

The elder twin straightened to her full height. "Saffiya is human, but you and I are equal in power and in weakness. You have made me appear less so in the eyes of the masters."

"That's absurd."

"I would never do this to you." Alec's face fell, at a loss for a tactic to convince his sister he was on her side. "What qualifies you as more equipped than me? Are you better than me, brother?"

Alec growled, "a mission without you lacks precision. Your leadership is invaluable." She was almost taken aback, but her anger held fierce. "This was not about your capability."

Jane stomped her foot, more familiar as behaviour interacting with her brother. Purposefully or not, feeding Jane's ego was guaranteed to ease any situation. I almost allowed myself to relax. "I have never been reckless on a mission. You, however," she trailed off pridefully. I'd nearly forgotten about the limb Alec almost lost in their last brush against newborns.

"And so inspired my request of the kings," he confessed. She rolled her eyes, nowhere near buying his act of honour. "We have already lost two to an unknown enemy. I'll be damned if–"

Her tone melted to silver as she cut him off, "and what will you do, brother?" Jane lifted her head with a taste of superiority, "when your mate is no longer useless?" Ouch. "She will never stand and watch."

"My mate," he enunciated with a burst of fury, and I have no idea how I had been pulled back into the argument, "almost died when my enemies sought retribution."

"The vengeance of our enemies is not a new threat." She spit back as if he'd insulted her by omitting her involvement. Insulted, she may have been, but her lip quivered. The twins were a team. They shared everything – from responsibility to prestige. While he likely lacked malice by choosing the possessive pronoun, it hit an internal sensitivity for her. Making Alec's stance even more unfortunate as he refused to back down.

Alec gave a humourless laugh, which enraged his sister even more. "You cannot change my mind, and the Masters will not go back on their word to me. I won't apologize." Jane's lips twisted into a sneer.

"Then, I'm telling Sulpicia."

I was grateful that the twins didn't often fight because just watching was exasperating, nail-biting. I had yet to meet the Queens and was unlikely to while I was human. I knew it was unlikely Sulpicia had any say over what her husband did in court, but it looked like Jane had chosen the right person to threaten him with. Alec's body tensed, expression flashing from (dare I say) nervous to determined as the siblings seemed to face off, just waiting for the other to make a move.

Slowly, he challenged, "you wouldn't."

Jane smirked.

They disappeared in a blur, giving me whiplash as Alec landed not two seconds later with his back to the door. Just before Jane could reach it.

"Move."

"Take it back."

"Fine."

I was suddenly thankful to be an only child.

"Swear."

And even with her back to me, I knew that smug smirk was still plastered across her lips. She taunted him, "I swear to it." Apparently, she had more faith in the approach than me because her brother didn't fully catch on to her mocking tone.

Alec's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you."

Jane let out a mirthless laugh, backing off Alec and turning as if to walk away from him. Instead, her eyes landed on me, and she stopped. Her regal stare skimmed over my figure as if she was seeing me in some disguise before trying to reassure herself that nothing had changed. Something did change, however, and her eyes flashed.

"We are immortal, as your mate will soon be." Alec narrowed his brows, but there was almost a sort of attachment to her words. No matter how much he sought to protect us. He found comfort in her reassurance but remained distrustful of her reasoning as she turned back to him.

"Until then." Alec seemed to be walking a line between the arrogance of an immortal and an awareness of the potential for its ruin. But the Volturi saw themselves as the central power, and the twins had practically been raised with this perception and the ideals that followed. Awareness did not mean he believed in the possibility because neither he nor Jane could fathom such a fate for themselves.

They were raised with entitlement, and they knew others lacked the same security of a truly immortal life that they bore. But the idea appeared to them as a concept rather than a reality. They had seen the death of a vampire and even performed the act themselves. However, awareness will not always equal understanding, and Alec was falling victim to that gap. He knew 'death' existed, but neither of the twins could ever conceptualize the possibility of it happening to them. Not in this life.

"Your fear is drowning you, little brother."

He scowled, "I rather drown in fear than watch ignorance burn m–"

The twins froze.

"You would know," Jane snapped icily.

Alec instantly recoiled, an unexpected response that caught Jane and me off guard. For different reasons, as the words hinted at a history I was not yet privy to. Her mouth parted as if she wanted to continue, maybe even to apologize, but she closed it quickly.

Alec retreated into his poker face, hardened into stone, and then he was gone. The slam of his door echoed in the chamber, my only clue as to his new location.

A harsh breath flew through my lips, and I had no idea how long I'd been holding it. I leaned back on the armchair, the first time I'd moved since the twins had drifted on from me. My chest was tight, and my eyes stung. But I had no right to cry, so I looked up at Jane, whose focus was fixed on the closed door behind me.

If she were anyone else, I did not doubt tears would have spilled from her eyes, with cheeks turning red and quiet sobs passing through her lips. But Jane was not so unstable, not outwardly anyway.

She set her palms on the back of the couch, head lowered as she collected herself.

I stood, sure that the crash of Alec's door suggested it was better to stay on this side of it. But when Jane was irritated, her anger ran much too hot not to spread to any little noise or movement that dared to tempt her wrath. When she finally shifted, her eyes landed on me with the same piercing stare. I should have known then that she would be out for blood.

Her expression dulled as she attempted to hide behind a strategic armour, but it was strained as she struggled to maintain the energy required to sustain it. The rush of adrenaline left a queasy uncertainty in her eyes, or so I must have imagined, as it disappeared the moment she reached me.

She continued scrutinizing me with an intensity I had not experienced from her in a while. Her eyes flickered to the couch, and I obeyed hesitantly, waiting for orders as she sat on the other end. Being near her was like active, pulsing static, prickly, and tingling with constricted air. I chewed on my bottom lip, second-guessing my decision to stay.

"What did the Romanian say to him?"

My mouth fell, and I shut it immediately, dropping my gaze. Jane was impatient, but she waited as I fiddled with the chain around my neck. Tensely, I tucked my legs under me, restless to avoid the topic but hesitant to leave her in this state. "Does it matter?"

She didn't seem to think so. "You said Vladimir threatened me."

I squeezed my eyes tight and nodded. The memory was recent, fresh, and still somewhat painful. It came in flashbacks, triggered by sensory elements and times of loneliness. And those damn dreams. "Jane–"

"Tell me," she demanded, leaning closer. I winced. I expected Alec would have told her the details I had not in one of their tirades on the Romanians. Apparently not. And it seemed to have cost him.

"I don't remember," the lie was ineffective.

She chided me, "human."

"I don't want to remember," I admitted. Jane seemed taken aback, a similar expression to the one she had caused on her brother moments ago. She held eye contact from across the couch, her stare vacant as she tried to comprehend my statement. I glanced over her shoulder, the memory of Travis sitting across from me in the meal car on the train, his eyes swallowing my thoughts.

And by the time a direct request for every word from each of Vladimir's threats passed through Jane's full lips, the scene was already falling in on me. The rumble of the train became background noise as my brain focused on Travis' hands, which returned to my skin like a ghost, his hold nearly breaking my ribs. His fingertips were on my spine, his breath at my throat with a guarantee. Alec stood helplessly across from Vladimir as the older vampire taunted him.

I nodded slowly and took a shaky breath, hoping it would calm me enough to sort through the noise and avoid the agitation that had appeared only recently. "He threatened to kill you," I paused, letting her take it in, and I tried to skip the details. "It infuriated Alec. I already told you–"

Jane wasn't a fool. Her eyes narrowed, only more incensed by my attempt to limit her information. She gripped the back of the couch. I flexed my fingers and wet my lips, hoping she would at least take a breath before making me dig deeper. I ran my hand through my hair, continuing before she demanded it again.

"He said he would taunt you, tell you that Alec begged for his life before he killed him," she closed her eyes, and her head tilted in the slightest hint of a flinch. It had been this statement that broke Alec's resolve at the time, so this should not have surprised me. My throat went dry, almost as terrified for her reaction as the memory of Travis' hand seemed to materialize on my skin. I squirmed subtly as his fingers explored directly along my spine. The vividness of the memory of his touch was beginning to consume me as it reached my esophagus. I croaked out, somewhat breathless, "and burned me alive."

Her head snapped back to me, and she snarled, nearly forgetting her discomfort. Her eyes bled black as she leaned forward, "he said what?" The ghostly hand on my throat vanished, and I took a harsh breath.

But something about her response made me frown, altogether forgoing the clear hostility radiating from the vampire. Instead of heeding her aggravation, I was filled with a sort of aloof bewilderment.

I wasn't stupid, but I had gone out of my way to pretend I was since the day Marcus cautioned me against exploring the twins' past. But revisiting this detail, aside from the awful insinuations that came along with the comment, burning me alive had been a small win of smugness for me at the time. Sure, I'd die, but Vladimir would not get the satisfaction of hearing me scream. It would likely be disconcerting, but I would be numb to the pain he intended to cause me.

It occurred to me now that the Romanian had savoured the threat more than any other. He yearned for Alec's reaction, and the boy instantly succumbed. All control he had so magnificently displayed prior to had disappeared as soon as the words were cast. And I could no longer ignore the mystifying evidence offered to me more than once. I intended to wait, to be patient, until the twins made the decision to tell me their story. And I don't know why, but despite this, I prompted her.

"Alec didn't like that part either." Rather than an animus response, she avoided eye contact, looking like she was still processing what I'd shared. Coincidentally, the behaviour allowed her to avoid my pointed remark. "Vladimir knew exactly where to sting him. You. Me. And wh…he called him witch boy."

Her head snapped to me, all wrath shoved aside to make room for a distraught contempt. I could not be sure whether this was due to Vladimir's use of the nickname or that I had brought it up so intentionally. It was the first time I'd addressed the obvious nickname with either of the twins. I would not have picked such a time to do so under different circumstances. But Jane started it, and an explanation seemed long overdue.

"I don't want to ask," I said.

"–do not."

"Alec implied he wanted to wait till you were together to tell me."

Jane hissed, jumping up from the couch and roughly dismissing the possibility, "I want no part in that conversation."

"It's how you died, isn't it?" I frowned up at her, returning to Vladimir's statement. Our power had swapped, and I stared at her with an expressionless mask. Her face twisted, filling with distress. She would hate pity, so I let her react without cost. "Your story."

"Alec does not want to tell you – no, not like that." It would not have surprised me, but Jane had a certain authority when defending her brother. I always believed her. She had forgotten some of her anger for what she viewed as more important. "He wants you to know, we both do. You must understand it is not something we wish to revisit." I could relate to that.

I went quiet, and she returned to the couch, this time sitting half a cushion away from me. A deep breath escaped past her lips, the only sound between us as we sank into individual states of detachment.

I was comfortable waiting until the twins were ready to share, but their history weighed so heavily on them that, despite my ignorance, the association was suffocating. Over everything, Jane and Alec were my friends. And I wanted to help carry their burdens when they could not. Just as they carried mine – at least the few I'd shared.

"I believe I know why my brother wished to wait." I tilted my head with a small crack, informing me that I had not moved for some time. Time which Jane had used with purpose. I urged myself to be patient. Jane continued, albeit somewhat guarded, as if she half expected to be cut off. "Alec needs to tell you our story. But there is another you need to hear first."

Jane did not need to be comforted by her decision or hear my blanket encouragement. If she was going to tell me, it was a decision she would make purposefully, even if she was a fair bit emotionally overwhelmed at the moment.

"I am going to tell you how our mother died."

~•~•~•~

A/N: Missed you guys!

This chapter had four different outcomes and each one was a different emotion. Good news is, you'll still get those other scenes and they are way more fun than this one.

Because I've left and come back to it so many times, I found it really hard to keep, specifically Jane, in character for this chapter so apologies if anyone got caught in that.

Working hard,

Ro

~•~•~•~

UPDATE 26 March 2023: The next chapter does not include topics that have not already been discussed, read, or suggested in this story or the original fiction. The following will remain until I have written the chapter of concern and am able to better inform you guys on the content.

ORIGINAL

The next chapter will finally address the twins' backstory! It may be split into two, but in case it is not: this is your notice for triggering topics. There will be a brief note at the top of the chapter if a warning is necessary but the chapter(s) is still in progress so this author's note is just in case.

Consider skipping the chapter:

If the sensitive subject matter noted has the potential to cause distress to yourself or your well-being.

If you have been uncomfortable with anything thus far. For fanfictions, I only do warnings for things that go beyond the scope of the original work.

If you will be unable to maintain your composure regarding the triggering topic. I respect you all and value your perspectives, but I have very little patience for dramatics and very dark humour. If someone comments something you do not agree with or that you believe is insensitive, exercise some self-control and leave it alone. According to this story's stats, about 44% of you are 18-25 years old with a prefrontal cortex that is developed enough (not fully, but enough) to understand that.

Please use common sense and assume events that are typical or specific to the period the twins were born may be included.

Keep personal stories private. Shared experiences can validate some, but this is not the place to have those conversations. Please speak with a licensed professional.

If you do skip, know that you will not need the specifics of their origin story for the rest of the book, and if you do, I will recap at that point in time.