"We create our fate every day we live."

Henry Miller

The whistling winds blew and swept across Radu, while flakes and flurries of snow caught in his auburn hair, but he said nothing. Radu did not even blink.

"You love her." His mother's voice resounded- not from within his mind, but from behind him.

Radu turned.

"What does it matter if I do?" He asked numbly. His mother's eyes were both pained and sympathetic.

"Radu, my son, do not think that I do not understand," she said quietly "you know how my sister reacted to my attachment and marriage to your father... what it started. There would have been no vampires had she blessed us both."

"Or werewolves." Radu spoke. "I know the story." He turned back towards the view of the swirling clouds, and the howling winds, the flecks of snow and ice and the eerie precipice so far below the bottom could not be seen.

His mother came to stand beside him.

"The Fey are rather appealling to our kind." She admitted. "Their blood, although poisonous and corrosive to our tissues, even those with hardened and crystalised skin, smells terribly enticing and alluring. It makes them even more attractive, doesn't it?"

That it did. Toxic faerie blood may be, but it was like perfume. Most people would be fools to gulp it down, yet the scent was incredibly arousing. And Gabrielle was only partially Vila- for now.

"That wasn't why I fell for her." Radu found himself saying.

"No." Lady Laima agreed. "You fell for her because she was good, helpful, kind and honest without being naïve and clueless; wise without being long-winded or dull; young, exuberant and fresh without being too energetic, and therefore also not laden with the weariness and bitterness of years long past. Serene without being tedious and a dullard; highly intelligent without being condescending, demeaning or unemphatic towards others and their feelings. Understanding of the emotions and thoughts of others without judging too soon and harshly or losing her poise." She looked knowingly at him.

Radu said nothing. Even without her powers of telepathy and empathy- which would have only aided her further, anyway- he was certain that as his mother she was more than capable of seeing right through him.

"Viktor will kill her." He said finally. "Or, more likely, use her to hurt me, you, my father and sister. And now David and- by extension- Amelia. Before he or his followers dispose of her and use her to attack the Fey or the wizards. Or both. I am no fool, Mother." Although he surely must have been to allow it to go for as long as it did.

For a moment, his mother did not reply.

"I can promise you this: although your feelings are genuine, I can promise you that the two of you will both find happiness elsewhere when you part. She will meet the love of her life, and you will meet yours." His mother said finally.

Again, Radu did not speak. "Is this the Sight?" He asked. "Or your Will?" Her powers were more extensive than the Irish vampiresss Siobhan's, whose abilities were indeed intriguing.

His mother smiled. "The Sight." She replied. "Your fate is yours to make as you will. Never doubt that." She leaned forwards to kiss him on the forehead.

His shoulders slumped. Radu sighed. He closed his eyes.

"I cannot imagine loving another."

"But love another you will. As will she. And love each of them more you both shall." His mother stated with a certainty. "This much, I know."

Radu said nothing. Yet his heart felt like it was being torn into shreds. Love was a curse, he decided.

His mother gently squeezed his hand and teleported away. Bitterness descended upon him.

I've lived too long, he thought. And to genuinely love for the first time, centuries after his life first began... it only seemed to weigh down on the misery, despite the logic of his knowing that his mother not only spoke the truth but was certain of what would occur.

Disappointment welled inside him. If he were a human, he wondered, would life be so much simpler?

Most importantly, if there was no Viktor... would they all be free?

"Did you See the same outcomes for Edward and Bella Cullen?" He asked dryly. "Or Sulpicia and Athenodora? Marcus I know has little hope. His eternal love is dead, and he was grossly deceived. But what of the others?"

"That will be up to them." Came his mother's cryptic reply "take your fate into your own hands, my son. Do not wait for the outcome of your dreams to fall on your lap like so many others. Do not deceive yourself with fairytales and delusions. The survivors of the Volturi have learned not to trust so easily. Bella Swan has learned a harsh lesson. Edward Cullen will receive an equally harsh one if not harsher."

"And Gabrielle?" Radu found himself asking quietly. "And I? Will Gabrielle truly be happy with another?" He could not stop the pain from entering his voice.

His mother's dark blue eyes, like midnight, met his in sympathy. "As will you." She promised softly.

Radu had nothing more to say.

"Set your soul in search of the truth."

Lailah Gifty Akita

"Get your hands off of me!" The middle-aged blonde woman screamed repeatedly amidst profanities. She spewed expletives as the Seattle police handcuffed and informed her of her Miranda Rights. The Grey family stared in shock.

"Why?" The mother asked. Her hazel eyes conveyed her shock and disbelief, surmounted by a growing sense of horror. Beside her, her husband also stared while their only daughter had both hands clasped over her mouth, and her eldest brother stood, stunned.

But the person who reacted the most from this was Christian Grey, the birthday CEO and Elena's protégé, who himself possessed a dirty secret.

"What has she done?" Doctor Grace Trevelyan Grey whispered, hand clutching her pearls, almost in tears. Her daughter still had both hands clasped over her mouth. Just then, the birthday boy errupted. "What business do you have intruding on these premises?" He exploded.

His hand had been frozen just halfway of grabbing onto Ava's wrist- without her consent. But both seemed to have temporarily forgotten what had happened in favour of gaping at the scene in front of them.

"An arrest warrant." The police officer replied. "Made for one Elena Lincoln. Crime: grooming and sexual intercourse, therefore statutory rape of underaged minors-" Christian's eyes widened and the colour seemed to have drained entirely from his face, as if by a suction tube. His parents' jaws dropped, and his mother and sister gasped. His sister's eyes bugged, and his brother stood frozen in both horror and shock. "-false imprisonment and possession of child pornography." He looked at them. "Just to warn you, it's likely that we'll be adding more to the list of charges."

Ah, Gabrielle thought, purring inwardly. At long last. And she didn't miss the way Christian Grey's eyes had widened and that the blood seemed to have drained from his disgustingly punchable handsome face when the police officer mentioned that Elena Lincoln's crime had been that of grooming and statutory rape of underaged minors. He knew what the policeman was talking about. He knew it was illegal. He was one of the victims, after all. But up until now, he had been in denial, considering what she did to him was a good thing. That she had taught him how to reach success by channelling his inner rage, pain, turmoil and hate into BDSM sessions- abusive and twisted BDSM sessions, as much as he believed otherwise as that was what she taught him about sex- into his work. He had reached success because of this, and Elena had loaned him her husband's money to help him get started. Surely, if it had saved him from a life where he would have ended up in a jail cell and likely died of overdose or from picking a fight with the wrong guy, it must have been a good thing, right?

Soon, Christian Grey would find out otherwise. Very soon. And Gabrielle couldn't wait to see it.

Ava walked over to her, shuddering. "Was wondering how long I could keep it up until I was forced to hex or trip him." She frowned. "Shouldn't be illegal, right? If he attacked me and I defended myself- what choice do I have except magic, especially since he's much bigger than me." She blinked. "Although, I suppose I could've just kicked him in the balls. Saves me the trouble. But he could claim I attacked him for no good reason."

Gabrielle sighed, wincing. "I'm sorry I forced you into this position, Ava."

"Don't be." Ava assured her. "If it forces him to open his eyes and stop being a jerk in the end, then it's worth it, especially since I wasn't in any danger or anything. There are others who have had it way worse than me."

Gabrielle grimaced, realising she couldn't disagree with Ava's assessment. Merlin, she was the bravest and most admirable woman right now, Gabrielle thought. Her respect for Ava- which was already quite considerable- increased tenfold.

Together they watched as the Grey family stood frozen in shock and horrifying disbelief. Soon, the news would break, Gabrielle thought, eyes focusing on the eldest brother. Elliot Grey- that was his name- stood as white as a sheet as his eyes reflected not merely the horror and shock of seeing his mother and family's friend being handcuffed and taken to prison to await trial, but from his own internal realisation. He had been seduced by Elena Lincoln, when he was just a boy of fourteen, but when she attempted to introduce him to her twisted version of BDSM he bolted for the door, but had been manipulated to keep everything quiet from his parents and everyone else for fear as if it would look as if he was the one who had raped her, since he was the male and she the female. Out of the five family members, Elliot Grey's eyes had been opened first.

Elena Lincoln's trial will be attended by the Grey family, Gabrielle knew. Christian- out of a sense of obligation- will pay for her lawyer and entire defence team, and the whole family would wait and observe to see whether she was truly guilty or innocent, secretly hoping for the latter, especially so in Christian's case since Elena could very well implicate him and they were closely connected with each other through business and more, with the sole exception of Elliot who certainly knew otherwise but was still in shock. When the evidence started piling up and they bore witness to the victims' testimonies, Elliot would break down not long after it began. He would confess to his parents and siblings what had happened between him and Elena. This would then prompt Mia- the Greys' youngest child and only daughter- to break down sobbing, confessing her own encounter in which she had had a lucky escape at the age of just thirteen from a man similar to Elena Lincoln in his perverted tastes and version of BDSM, which Elena Lincoln herself had arranged, thinking it as a 'blind date' and initiation for Mia. Mrs Lincoln had proceeded to convince Mia, through a series of manipulative coercion, lies and false reassurances, that it was all a misunderstanding, and it was best if the very young Mia kept quiet about it and not tell her parents.

And this in turn would prompt Christian to break down into pieces once he had heard his siblings' testimonies, rushing to his penthouse apartment to trash his 'playroom', breaking and smashing everything into pieces, destroying and burning all his adult toys whilst screaming, before curling into a broken sobbing ball before a tearful Doctor Grey found and caught up with him. His parents and siblings would hear his confession too. As devastating, even heartbreaking as this was, much like Gabrielle's revelation, it would serve him far better in the long run. Christian could become a much better person, and he could genuinely begin to heal and move on, although he first had to confront the fact that Mrs Lincoln was not only immoral and perverse, what she had taught him was truly twisted and harmful, and Christian would begin the road to realising that he needed to stop. Sometimes, the quick amputation was much better than allowing the limb to grow diseased and gangrenous, as much as Gabrielle hated to use that term. She did once wish to be a healer at the Divine Ministry of Health and therefore often had to cringe at outdated Muggle practices. Although amputation was less practiced today and only if it was necessary and unsalvageable.

Gabrielle sighed. Maybe it was a good thing that Ava would be there as a friend. She eyed Ava. But she was under no illusions that Christian Grey would be able to resist falling in love with her, but Ava... would not only never reciprocate and fall truly in love with another, she could never truly be happy with him. And Ava knew that. She had no plans or desire to be with Christian, and unlike Bella, who had been less decisive, Ava was not attracted to him and had no such strong attachments that she would be torn.

It was a hard lesson that Christian needed to learn. But it was also a moment of encouragement and a way forwards and to heal.

"The world is changed by your example, not your opinion."

Paolo Coelho

"There wasn't a single lie or attempt at concealment," Maggie clarified "not from Marcus, not from Sulpicia or Athenodora. Even their promises about not harming humans or each other were meant to be kept."

Eleazar nodded, eyes distant. "I don't doubt you the slightest," he mused "I just don't feel easy about all of this."

Siobhan grimaced sympathetically. "None of this should be this easy," Eleazar admitted "not forming a new society, far more different and closely connected than any we have ever had before. So, is it unreasonable to expect at the very least a few resistances, particularly violent ones?"

Vampire society- or rather, just their species- had long since developed a code of conduct which provided them with a greater chance of survival when living in fewer numbers. That code by far predated the Volturi and Romanians, perhaps even the Egyptians. The competitive need and instinctual desire, wild even mad desperation for more blood overcame any form of moral conscience and all but the strongest of familial bonds, with the usual exception being the bond between mates. Therefore, larger covens had always been unstable and usually ended in internal violence.

And now everything had changed. Now they had room for a conscience, something which few have usually developed before. There were forbidden from taking not only human lives but those of vampires and other beings. They did not need to source their food from mankind. For the first time since their creation, their species had to learn how to live with each other and to unite.

Eleazar wondered just how in the world it could ever be possible. Most vampires did not know another way of life, with the sole exceptions of their previous human existences and there were few who looked upon them with fondness. It was not without reason that they expected at least some resistance.

"I have no wish to be like the Volturi," Benjamin muttered "or the Romanians." He gripped the arms of his seat tightly.

"And it shouldn't happen that way," Kachiri agreed "yet we are now responsible for every member of our species, for creating laws and ensuring their compliance with them, not just the ones which are an agreed part of the Confederation."

"And that includes the laws about matrimony?" Tanya mused. "I noticed people seem to look at us a bit strangely whenever any of us mention anyone being 'mates' rather than husbands and wives. Like we're savages or animals."

Kachiri looked amused, as did Zafrina and Senna whose lips were twitching slightly.

"Well, we can't get married either the mortal or vampire way," Mackenna pointed "we don't have blood, and apparently mortal marriages are not for the undying and the eternally in love."

Carlisle thought about Bella and Edward. Bella had already planned to divorce Edward once he was released from his prison sentence. They had married in a mortal ceremony, conducted by Minister Weber, Angela's father.

It didn't even last a year. Carlisle estimated that without all this- the trials and the Confederation, as well as Charlie and Sue's confrontations, and Renée's divorce- Bella and Edward's marriage would have normally taken at least a few years to irrevocably break down. Although he wasn't sure if Edward would have accepted it. As much as his son had attempted to keep Bella in her human state, to the point where he tried to cut ties with her in order for her to give up on the idea of immortality with him, he was certain that Edward would have never wanted a divorce, nor will he ever truly accept it.

And so, Carlisle asked the question he seemed to be asking himself since the day Adsila Sizemore and the rest of the American magical government's agents arrived to break the news to them. How could I have been so blind?

Were there signs of their incompatibility and harmfulness he had missed before either of them made it up the aisle? Almost certainly there must have been, although he and Esme had made a point not to intrude on Bella and Edward's privacy and their time spent together. How and what could he have done to put a stop to this... this toxicity?

And what about Bella's pregnancy with Renesmee? How could he not have seen the signs for what they were back then, even after they got married? He had assumed that Edward's desperation and insistence- even plotting to force an abortion onto Bella's own body without her knowing, much less consenting- was due to Edward's panic and anxiety, his self-hatred and blame over Bella being hurt and put in danger. Maybe it was, but it didn't make things less harmful or righter that he and Esme had ignored the warning signs and refused to put their feet down and stand up to Edward. Their beloved son had psychologically manipulated his entire family, keeping them under his thumb and it appeared that until Renesmee came along, only Rosalie could stand up to him. Carlisle decided he owed her an apology.

"Leaving that aside, there is the more urgent matter that we will have to stop any human consumption and train our entire species to not only depend upon the blood products that we can import and buy, but also how to earn and pay for them." Carlisle found himself saying. He forced his own bitter regret and self-blame aside for the moment. Eleazar nodded, agreeing with this assessment.

"Most of us are so used to living the nomadic lifestyle, having little need for a home when one does not sleep, much less creature comforts such as food or money to pay for them." Carlisle's brow furrowed. "Not unless they wish, but those are luxuries that many can afford to do without."

Eleazar grunted. "So how does an entire society transition from one nomadic, isolationist, easily violent lifestyle to something more sedentary and civilised? Especially since before few of us have hardly even needed to trade with each other. For humankind, that happened so long ago that the majority of even our kind do not recall, but it certainly did not happen all at once. Besides, we are immortal, unused to and resistant to change. Where shall we all live? In covens such as these? How do we make our own money? Goodness, what kind of money shall we use in circulation? Shall we mint and print our own? What shall we purchase? I suppose we can set up businesses in the human world- the non-magical kind- but it would be far better to do it in the magical human world with these witches and wizards. If they can create an entire industry devoted to catering to our feeding purposes, it might be worth investing and getting ourselves involved.

Charles shuffled uneasily. "And there is the fact that the great majority of us will not only be unused to living alongside each other in such close quarters, and not moving around so easily, but working for a living and paying for expenses, and interacting with magical humans."

"Or not killing anyone who displeases or even threatens them, whether they are human, vampire or anyone else." Kachiri warned. "It's one thing to settle something with violence, but it's very easy and it's what we've been used to for so long."

"Now, I imagine we will have to do what mortals do." Maggie sighed. "Go to court and sue them."

Nobody laughed. The atmosphere was very grave, with the council members preparing for a great deal of resistance across the world.

"We can always provide people with incentives to join us, but I am under no illusions that everyone will agree and join peacefully," Esme admitted "we also need to be certain that they will follow and obey our rules, without question. The Volturi managed it, yet..." she nodded at Benjamin. "You are right. I have absolutely no desire to emulate them, nor should anyone."

"Yet we can't afford to be strict pacifists." Charles said grimly. Eleazar, Benjamin, Siobhan and Maggie grimaced. Amun scowled.

"How do we make certain that every vampire of our species follows the law?" Carlisle asked. "We will also have to find a way how to deal with lawbreakers and how to find them."

"Plus, an armed forces should we feel the need to defend ourselves, similar to the Death Dealers." Mackenna pointed. "These witches and wizards have an entire society that, whilst being hidden from the non-magical mortals, it's so self-contained and so self-reliant it doesn't actually even require anything from the mortal world for anyone. They have their own shops and businesses- general economies, banks, schools, currency and governments... even their own entertainment and media outlets." She sighed. "Even for immortals whose minds process and absorb information faster than anyone, it will still require a significant amount of time, whether decades or centuries, for our species to reach the same level."

Esme blinked. Although Gabrielle- and Adsila- had elaborated upon the same things as Mackenna, she was surprised that the latter knew so much about the Wizarding World. "How and where did you learn so much about them?"

"From my uncle," Mackenna replied simply. "And a few relations." She explained "Our family has been aware of the existence of the supernatural for centuries, if not millennia, although-" her brow furrowed "-this it seems only extends to our limited view of the vampire species he was a part of. My uncle kept to the shadows ever since he was turned, making certain that his family survived and thrived in Malta. We treated him as if he were a family saint or patron of some kind. Whenever he spotted someone who had potential in being a vampire, he would transform him or her, with their consent of course." She stated, making more than a few others, including Carlisle and Esme, wince. "Or else they would remain mortal to continue the family line." Her eyes clouded over in sorrow. "Renata was one of them. She initially wished to remain human so she could wed, have children and live a normal life, but my uncle..." Mackenna sighed and Charles gently squeezed her hand. "Alas, the Volturi were interested and thus we could not afford to deny them. Renata was turned and handed over to them." She shook her head and looked down.

Everyone understood her shame and guilt. Carlisle could very understand what she and Luca must have been feeling right, now knowing that Renata not only had no choice in the matter to begin with, she was essentially enchanted and enslaved.

"But as it turns out we have magical human relatives as well." Mackenna said quietly. "Those whom Luca were previously unaware of. They have recently made contact again with our branch of the family. They, unlike us, were aware that we were vampires, but they mistook our species for those that belonged in the Confederation and kept their distance anyway. I suspect they knew that the potential for magic lay within our bloodline but preferred not to surrender it. It might have been the wisest decision." Mackenna sighed. "They are able to live normally and thrive with their children, and now they are incredibly powerful. Their abilities are not limited, unlike ours."

Carlisle looked thoughtful. "Is it possible that... with their aid, of course..."

The others immediately understood. "You mean to set up businesses in the magical human world?" Charles blinked.

"It's worth a try," Benjamin agreed "and we have no better alternative. Maybe there can be training for those who wish to learn how to provide others with goods and services. Maybe the vampires here know how to help get us started." He pointed. "After all, they've invited us to stay with them for a year."

"We would need more than a year to get everyone used to living this new way of life, this new society," Eleazar warned. "Starting with how to live alongside one another in close quarters."

"What about making the rules clear and the consequences for breaking them?" Benjamin suggested. "Not to sound anything like the Volturi, but..." he inclined his head. "There will always be rule-breakers."

"We might not be able to stop them, but we can at least keep it to a minimum." Tanya agreed. "By introducing a new set of rules and making clear the consequences of breaking them.

"So," she leaned forwards "what are the rules? And what will be the consequences for breaking them? Let's decide on that first. And if we don't want to be anything like the Volturi, then we will have to introduce the concept of prisons."

"Magical prisons, like..." Charles trailed off awkwardly, barely catching himself right before he looked over to the directions of Carlisle and Esme.

Esme fought a flinch. "We don't have a choice." She forced herself to agree. "Better than the Volturi's answer to everything."

The grimness seemed to settle in the room. It went unspoken that the Volturi had taken things too far, even according to their existing standards, when they executed Irina for making an honest mistake and doing her duty in reporting the Cullens.

"How does one not become like and prove that we are not like the Volturi or the Romanians and at the same time, enforce the law?" She asked, troubled.

This question also seemed to trouble the others. It was Tanya who broke the silence

"Garrett has volunteered to be a part of our armed forces should we require one, which we do, inevitably." Tanya said softly.

"Jasper has also volunteered." Esme said in a very small voice that no human would have detected. "And Emmett."

"And Liam." Siobhan put in.

"So did Alistair, surprisingly," Amun's eyebrow rose. The others turned to stare. "He does not usually trust authority figures and he preferred not to get involved, but..." he looked towards Carlisle and Esme's ways "I feel perhaps that he feels this is a means of compensation."

"We don't hold it against him, Amun." Esme said softly "we can perfectly understand why."

"I don't think you do." Mackenna said quietly, gazing towards them "Alistair holds a lot of secrets. Secrets which he was reluctant to share and which he was so used to hoarding, just as he was used to keeping to himself for all these centuries."

Maggie nodded eyes lost in contemplation. "That's true." She spoke. "But he would like to the chance to recompense."

Esme stared. What baggage could Alistair possibly be hiding that made him so... paranoid? Avoidant towards others?

But then again, who didn't?

"What about the remainder of the Volturi guards? What's going to happen to them?" She asked. "I know we should cross the bridge when we get there, but if they do recover-"

"We won't hold it against them." Mackenna said very firmly. "They do not deserve that. After all that has happened to them for millennia-"

"Of course not," Esme assured hastily "I just wish to know... what will they do? What will their place be in this new society of ours?"

Everyone looked at each other. Siobhan answered

"The guards have been in the Volturi's army for centuries, in the cases of some, and for millennia in others." Esme's mind flashed to Demetri who had been created- by Amun only to be taken by the Volturi for their own and ensnared with Chelsea's power and Corin's. "It's not fair to ask this of them, to be loyal to us, and to do the same work for us that they have been enslaved for by the Volturi." Esme argued.

"No," Siobhan agreed. "But what else can they do? What better way for them to transition from the old world and into this new society, to not only integrate but heal, by erasing the Volturi's effects and doing things differently from the way the Volturi had taught them, even if they have to learn? They are, like so many of us, so used to resorting to and reacting with violence whenever a disagreement pops up, or whenever somebody looks at them wrong. Much less, whenever they are thirsty and need to feed. Besides, the only reason why there were so many of them living together in that accursed citadel in Volterra was because of Chelsea and Corin acting on Aro and Caius' behest." She scowled. "But we are not slavers."

"No," Maggie agreed vehemently, as did all the others.

"We can at least offer them the choice." Mackenna suggested, looking at everyone seated around the table. "It's better than sitting around, feeling useless and having no purpose. While our kind- I mean, our species should learn to use other means of achieving their requirements other than violence, if we sit around all day for eternity, feeling useless, we could cause all kinds of trouble."

"Even without the need to hunt." Charles mumbled.

Carlisle and Esme had to admit this was a brilliant insight on the parts of the Irish and Maltese vampires. "You're right." Carlisle conceded. He looked at his wife. Esme nodded reluctantly. Even she had to admit, they all had a point. A pacifist at heart she may be, but Esme wasn't blind to the faults of others. At least, she couldn't afford to be, after Edward- and Jacob. She sighed.

"Very well. We will offer them the option, but we must make things perfectly clear," she warned "that it is an option and nothing more. But we must also make things clear to them that we will support them no matter what. We are there for them: as friends, not just allies, and certainly not overlords seeking to take advantage of them." She warned. "But as members of one society."

A chorus of agreement resounded across the room. "Very well. All in favour?" Carlisle asked. It was unanimous. It was certainly far easier than human politics.

"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate."

Carl Jung

Renesmee placed a vase of blooming flowers on her nightstand. Everything was closed in, oppressive. Some parts of the castle were so scary that her family refused to allow her to go anywhere near it. It looked frightening, terrifying even from a distance. And yet...

The truth was, she had never been so free. So why did she feel so afraid?

It was as if Renesmee had been shut up in a box for so long. She had never known anything other than that box, at least the insides of it. And then suddenly, the box's lid was thrown wide open. Even though she had always wanted to be free of that box, to see what was outside, to live and see how other people lived outside of it, now that she was free, she was scared. The world outside was so big. Huge. She didn't know what to do or where to go, or even where to look...

It was as if she wanted to be back in that box again where it was safe. Familiar. Yet Renesmee had dreamed of being free all her life and she wasn't about to go and be locked back in there again.

She never wanted that.

Renesmee inhaled deeply. Behind her, someone knocked. By scent and footfalls, she knew it was Aunt Rosalie.

"Hey," Rosalie said softly. "Can I come in?"

Renesmee nodded. "Sure." She said, turning to face her aunt. Rosalie sat down beside her on the bed.

"We're going to Chicago, aren't we?" She asked, numbly. Rosalie nodded mutely, pursing her lips.

"Soon," she finally said, gathering Renesmee into a hug. Renesmee sighed and settled into her aunt's embrace, hugging her tightly back.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered "I don't know what to think. It's stupid, isn't it?" She whispered. "I'm stupid. I spent what seems like my entire life wishing I could be free to do and think whatever I like, and now that I am-" a condescending laugh bubbled up her throat. She shook her head. "I am so stupid."

Normally, Renesmee would have never dreamed of having this conversation with anyone. Of pouring her heart out to anyone, least of all her parents. After all, wouldn't Edward have eagerly taken advantage of it to make her do what he wanted her to do? To prove to her that, yes, she was young and innocently naïve, as he had always claimed. But Rosalie was not like Edward Cullen. Or Bella, or Jacob. She trusted her aunt.

She wasn't ready yet, but she hoped that someday she could trust her mother in the same way.

"No," Rosalie said firmly "you're not stupid. It's normal, Renesmee. Maybe the situation you are in isn't normal, but if anyone else had been given the same treatment and if they were also half-vampire and forced to grow up too fast while still being very young, then I can put my hand on my heart and swear that they would do something similar, if not the exact same thing." Renesmee looked sceptical. "It's true. You've been manipulated and controlled, as well as cooped up for so long and for your entire life that when you finally get the chance to stretch your wings and look around the wide-open spaces, the normal thing to feel would have been to be overwhelmed as much as you're elated and confused as to what to do next and where you would go. It's only natural that anyone in your position would be confused." She insisted.

Renesmee hesitated. "I'm... I just... I'm so angry with him." She confessed quietly to her aunt. "So angry and- and- I've never been so angry before. I hate him!" She burst out suddenly. "I know I shouldn't, but I hate him! I don't wanna hate him, but I do- or I think I do... or maybe I don't. Because..." her voice cracked. "How can I hate my father?"

Rosalie's heart broke. Her sweet baby niece was too young to be dealing with all this turmoil and trauma. She pressed her lips to Renesmee's bronze-coloured curls. "I know." She said quietly. "I know. And I'm here to tell you that it's alright to hate him." Renesmee stared incredulously at her aunt.

Rosalie explained, "It's alright to hate the guy who hurt, lied to, manipulated, insulted and threatened you and your mother. It's alright to be angry with him. At the same time, it's alright to love your father. And to be hurt, worried, sad and upset that he's in jail." Her eyes softened. Rosalie looked pained. "Even if they're the same person. It's natural that you are confused but it's alright to feel what you feel, Renesmee. I never want you to be ashamed of your feelings or thoughts, or to hesitate to go to me whenever you need to talk, a shoulder to lean or even just a hug. Edward isn't the best dad in the world, it's okay to admit that. It's okay to say that what he did was wrong and that you're angry with him or even hate him. You are free to love and hate as you will. But he is your dad. And it's okay to say that you love him too, and that you don't want him to suffer."

Renesmee hesitated. "Did he... did he ever really love Mom?" She asked in a very small voice. "Mom thought he did once but then... I didn't mean to say it." She looked ashamed. "Just when I heard all these things... What he did to her and what he almost did to me, and what he did do to me that wasn't right, but he said it was because he only loved and cared about me..." her voice cracked again. "I didn't think it was real. Maybe I've been watching too much TV and movies, but it always looks as if the guy who wants you to do things you don't want or normally would do, or wear and look like what you would normally not look, or do things and act the way you normally wouldn't do... it's like they love someone else... or a piece of paper. And they're just using you like that to paint what they want all over it so they can see and use it to decorate the way they like." Rosalie was silent.

Renesmee took a deep breath. "I said this to Mom," she admitted "I didn't mean to... I didn't think she'd take it seriously, but Mom..." her voice wobbled and again threatened to break "Mom seems to think that it might be true after all." She shook her head. "Am I stupid?"

Rosalie shook her head. "No," Rosalie said quietly "you're not stupid. I think if I had your wisdom, Renesmee, I would have never had any trouble with Royce." Her lips twisted. "It doesn't matter whether it came from movies, books or TV. I think fiction- made up stories you watch or read about- can be reflections of a human's life and story." And for the longest of times, they were the only window to the outside world that Renesmee ever had.

"But your parents wanted you to marry him too, because he was the richest guy in town." Renesmee pointed. Rosalie made a face. "Yeah. But the truth was even if I didn't like him, I think my parents would have still pushed me to marry Royce. Or someone at least as rich as he was. Just like Esme's. You're lucky you were born in the twenty-first century. These days, you would be better educated, accepted in the workforce, encouraged even by your parents, who now believe that their children should earn and achieve their own money, rather than marrying into wealth and security, finding someone who could work and provide for them and having to depend on him instead." Renesmee's mind flashed back to how Esme's parents pushed her to marry Charles Evenson and refused to let her become a teacher.

"Besides, today people would call what my family did as being gold-digging and social climbing, but back then everyone was a gold-digger, or fortune hunter as they called it then. Or a social climber. It was normal because... because that was the only way you could go up and get a good future for yourself, where you won't have to worry about where your next meal would come from, whether you would have a roof over your head and a nice cosy bed to sleep on or clothes to wear. And whether your children would be able to look after you when you were old and unable to work." She sighed. "Back then we didn't have insurance policies or retirement schemes, and I'm not sure we had nursing homes either. It's only today though that you kind of realise that you're using your kids, just... bringing them into the world just so they could look after you when you can't."

"Like Renée did with Mom," Renesmee realised. Rosalie's eyes turned grim. "That's right. My parents and Esme's used all of their children. In hindsight, I can't blame them for that. Everyone thought that way back in the pre-retirement policy and nursing home days. But my parents' scheme was for my two younger brothers to do well in school, go to college, have great jobs and look after them and future generations of the family, while also having plenty of kids and marrying nice girls who would also help them in life. But to do that, they first had to use me." She sighed. "My beautiful face and my resulting marriage to Royce was supposed to throw doors wide open for them. He was the richest bachelor in town, heir to Rochester's largest fortune. His social connections- the influence of his successful family's name and wealth connected to our family's- and his aid was supposed to get my brothers places in life, up the ladder and into more career opportunities and social assurances, thus assuring the family's entire future." She sighed.

"My parents were using their children as meal tickets. And I- along with them- were using Royce as gold-diggers and social climbers." She winced, saying this. "I only realise that long after I'd been turned, in the modern era. And Royce and his parents were using me. I was what they would call it these days: the trophy girlfriend or bride in their eyes. And I would've been the trophy wife too, had I made it down the aisle." She looked down at Renesmee, her brows furrowing. "It was how it was done, back in the day; everybody did the same thing, or they would've done if they'd had the resources and the opportunity.

"I don't know whether this is accurate or not, but it sounds like you're right when it comes to your parents: Edward was using your mother in a way, even without knowing it himself- although in a different way from my parents, Royce and myself. He was using her to fulfil his romantic dreams and wishes. In hindsight, I can't blame him for that, either." Her voice now cracked. "Edward had been turned just before he made it to official adulthood, so he was an eternally underage boy. He lived for decades with no fewer than three happy couples and having the powers of telepathy, not like Aro's used to be or now Tanya's, you know, being able to see every thought and memory the individual has but listening and seeing everyone's thoughts at the exact same time on the surface of their minds... it's challenging and hard for him to see a lot of girls as anything other than shallow or vain, just not at all deep and meaningful, especially since he was not as mentally and emotionally developed and with the life experiences of an adult to begin seeing through with the same lenses, no matter how long he had lived for." Rosalie faltered briefly. "It was the same with me, that's why I never succeeded in warning Bella about her choice to embrace vampirism as opposed to the opportunities humanity would have given her; my human life and the world I'd lived in was far too different, alien in fact, to the one she was born and grew up in. I had a great life, or so I thought- at least by the standards of the day. And I believed that my future would have been brighter, so I regretted not living my human life and letting it run its natural course, having a big fairytale wedding and having children of my own." Rosalie gave a self-decrepating laugh.

"Bella wasn't like that." She admitted ruefully. "Oh no. Had I known what her life had been like, so different to mine: seemingly void of all hope, consumed, prior to her relationship with Edward which seemed like a fairytale or a romance novel, by the grey drudgery and misery of her own existence, her lowly self-esteem and the sense of worth which she had of herself... Had I known how her parents had failed- Renée even worse than mine although Charlie certainly did a better job- at least he tried to protect her, which was more than what Renée, or my parents and Esme's ever did for us- I would have known that my story would not have in the very least deterred her from her all-consuming obsession to be with and marry Edward, and become immortal right by his side, for eternity. I think they both used each other; Edward and Bella. Edward had romantic dreams, and when he finally came across Bella whose thoughts were blocked to him and who he couldn't get his attention off of since her blood appealled to him so much, he saw what he wanted to see in her." She sighed. "But that was a mistake. And it was unfair to her too. Just as it was unfair to him, since Bella, by her own admission, never really knew or saw him for who he was, as opposed to what she thought he was and what he could give her."

Vampirism. Immortality. Renesmee wondered how it could have been worth so much. Worth even your own family, or your chances of freedom and a normal life.

Rosalie looked at Renesmee again. "Just as it was unfair to you." She stated softly. "You don't deserve to get caught up in and have to deal with all of this, Edward, Jacob and Bella's issues, least of all before your first birthday." She shook her head. "You didn't deserve to deal with being kept prisoner and controlled in your thoughts and feelings, as well as your movements, because Edward had so many emotional issues he couldn't handle. You see, he never thought he would be a father." She said gently. "He had long since thought it was impossible. But he resented that it was."

"But he didn't want me." Renesmee shook her head.

Rosalie's eyes clouded over. "No," she admitted quietly. "He didn't. Or rather, he didn't want a child who was half a vampire." Oh, how she hated to say those words. But the only way Renesmee could heal was for her to be honest. "But that wasn't because of you, Renesmee. He knew, oh, he knew deep down, just as Jacob did, that that wasn't your fault. But Edward was projecting all his hatred and blame towards himself onto you. You were merely the result, but since he couldn't kill or punish himself literally, he redirected everything to you. And Jacob did the same thing to you because of what Edward and Bella did, how they hurt him." Renesmee was silent.

"That was before Edward heard your thoughts." Rosalie continued. "And before Jacob imprinted." Her eyes darkened and she gave a brief scowl before she forced herself to continue. No, it would do no good to dwell on these things. Renesmee needed to heal and move on, as did they all. "Jacob couldn't bring himself to hate or blame your mother because he was infatuated with her. He had a crush, but he thought he genuinely loved her. He couldn't bring himself to hate Edward as much as he wanted either, because he respected Edward, as much as he would've hated to admit it. Edward had tried to give up your mom so she could live a human life without being in danger, so Jacob respected him for that. But he also didn't see himself as being the guilty one either, in spite of what he's done, emotionally blackmailing and manipulating your mother in the exact same way." She frowned darkly. "You were the innocent in all this, Renesmee. Never doubt that. If there is a monster in this story, it's not you. Do you understand me?" She asked fiercely.

Mutely, Renesmee nodded her head. "So, Edward changed his mind when he heard my thoughts?" She asked.

Rosalie nodded mutely. "And he realised that you never meant to hurt your mother. And that you desperately tried not to. After that... I suppose he did what my parents did, although for entirely different reasons: he used you but not so that you could look after him and Bella someday." Her lips twitched briefly. "But because he wanted to fulfil his fantasies of a normal human life, having kids and all that, just as he did his romantic dreams with Bella. You were right, Renesmee. He never really knew, accepted or loved her for who she is. He never wanted to, either. He loved his dream woman."

"And his dream child." Renesmee couldn't stop the bitterness from entering her voice.

Rosalie's arm cradled her gently but securely, just as she used to when Renesmee was too small to even sit or stand on her own. "He used you, the way my parents and Esme's did her, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you." She said slowly. "You're his daughter, Renesmee. Of course he's going to love you. He carried you around when you were small, he watched over you as you grew. He protected you- or tried to, anyway. In his own way. I'm not saying what he did was right or that he wasn't wrong, or even that you should trust him afterwards, but I'm certain there is a part of him who knows who you are and loved you. Even when you disobeyed or argued with him."

"Then why did he hurt me?" Renesmee's eyes blurred with tears. "Why did he use me? Why did he use Uncle Jasper to control me? How could he- and Jacob- hate me so much for something I can't help? Something I didn't choose and never wanted in the first place?"

Rosalie's eyes were painfully sad. "How could he- or both of them- hate me for something I would have never done if I could help it?" Renesmee's voice finally broke.

Angrily, Renesmee wiped her tears. "Jacob used me in the same way. I know he did."

Rosalie agreed. "Yes. But in the same way he never truly loved you, he never truly hated you either. Remember that always. He just didn't know you. The two of you might as well have been strangers." She considered. "In fact, you can now consider yourselves to be just that."

"I will," Renesmee muttered darkly. "I promise you I will." Rosalie didn't ask whether Renesmee would ever forgive Jacob, or her father, she sensed that- even if Renesmee could- her niece wasn't ready to answer or even contemplate that question. And she understood. It was okay. Renesmee needed to grieve, be angry and even rejoice in her newfound freedom and future, to process all of this before she looked back and shut and locked the door firmly behind her.

And Rosalie would be there for her. They all would.

Renesmee took a deep breath. "What happened to them, if I might ask?" Rosalie was confused. "Who?" She asked.

"Your brothers. Your parents. Esme's parents. Charles and Royce. What happened to them?"

Rosalie sighed but it was too late. There was no backing out of it now. "No one knows what happened to Esme's parents. I assume they lived out the remainder of their days in Ohio. Her father was too old to go to war during the first World War, and if he lived long enough, he would've been too old for the second, but Carlisle and Esme- and the rest of us- haven't been back there, so we don't know for sure. I do wonder though, after she went missing, if they stewed in their regret." She smiled grimly. "It would serve them nothing less. Charles Evenson was killed, as we later learned." She hesitated. "By Edward."

Renesmee's eyes widened and she gasped. Rosalie nodded grimly. "It's true. Edward... was discontent with the taste of animal blood. Yet at the same time, he didn't want his conscience tainted by killing and preying upon innocent humans. So, for a time, he went and hunted criminals, people he knew were guilty. Charles Evenson was the first victim he killed. After a time, Edward came to regret his decision to do what he did. I suspect that hearing people's thoughts, just as Jasper feels others' emotions, led him to feel remorse. But Edward was still so very judgmental and critical of everyone who didn't meet his standards, even though by his own admission, he could only hear the immediate thoughts on the surface of other people's minds. It wasn't enough for him to understand them, or what they went through that made them the way they were. It's still no excuse for what many of them did, but still..." Rosalie sighed. "I can only hope that Edward learns from all this." The doubt in her voice, however, warned Renesmee not to be too optimistic.

Renesmee was silent for a while. "And your parents?" She questioned. "Your brothers? What happened to your family after you became a vampire? Royce?"

"My parents and brothers spent the rest of their lives haunted by my disappearance." She confessed. "As I was taken and saved by Carlisle from the streets before I could die, and turned in secret, no one ever knew what happened to me. They fought hard, oh they did. They might've used me like a meal ticket, but that evidently didn't mean that they didn't love me. Unfortunately, they got nowhere and remained haunted by all this. Royce was questioned, as was my friend Vera who had been the last person to see me along with her husband Henry. But even though there were people who suspected Royce..." she trailed off. "Police back then were easily bribed. They're not like your grandfather, and Royce and his family had a lot of money."

"He got away with almost killing you?" Renesmee was outraged.

"You're only half right," Rosalie stated grimly. "Royce was exonerated and all suspicions and evidence against him and his friends were dismissed by the police, but not by me. I didn't die, after all." Renesmee's eyes widened.

"You killed him?" Rosalie sighed. "Yes. And the friends who helped him that night."

Renesmee was silent for a while. "Well, I can't blame you. He did hurt you. You knew what he did."

The emphasis on the word you, used every time in that sentence, informed Rosalie that her niece didn't exactly extend the same courtesy and feelings towards Edward and his actions.

"I know Charles Evenson deserved it too, but..." Renesmee grimaced "I don't think Da- Edward should be trusting his own judgments." Rosalie smiled. "No." She agreed. "And he knew it too. But despite not feeding on humans any longer, Edward was and still is very quick and easy to judge. Even for a mind-reader who should know and understand better."

Rosalie looked at Renesmee. "My brother died in World War Two- at least one of my brothers did." She sighed. "I don't know where he was buried. But my parents..." she sighed. "As much as I later resented them, I wish I could have been there to say goodbye, to make peace with them. My other brother got married, had children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren and passed away peacefully." Her eyes were distant.

Renesmee was silent. "Do you wish you were a human?"

Rosalie sighed. "I used to. Very much. And I know Edward wished the same. But if I were a human... let's just say, if Royce never did to me what he did that night, before we got married, then after we were married, I would've found out about his true colours and I would have been trapped, unable to leave, just like Esme." She paused. "And your mother. And any children that I had with Royce would have also been in danger from him; either because they would be harmed by him and used, or because he would have groomed and taught them to become just like him. And if I hadn't become a vampire, I would have never met Emmett or saved his life when he was mauled by a bear, and I carried him away to be turned." Renesmee's eyes widened. "Or any of my family now who have never used me the way my parents did." Then she smiled down at Renesmee. "Or you."

Renesmee sighed. "But there's something about being a vampire that you don't like, is there? You and D- Edward." She gritted her teeth at her near mishap. "There's something there which... which frustrates you." Rosalie was silent. "You're stuck. I can feel it. I heard D-Edward say it. He fought so hard to keep Mom a human."

Rosalie pursed her lips. "Yes, that's true." She said quietly. "Maybe there's a scientific reason for this. You could ask Gabrielle. I think maybe it's because we were all born human, or in the cases of the pure-born children had parents or grandparents who were once human, that we still long to move on in life because it doesn't feel natural for us to be stuck in one phase in life for so long. Or maybe it's because we have to hide for so long, afraid of being discovered. And it never ends."

Renesmee was silent. "I don't know if I want to have kids," she confessed suddenly, causing Rosalie to wince.

Although something inside Rosalie wanted to deny and rebuff this, defend the fact that having kids was a blessing, she didn't want to react the same way as Edward. And something in her prompted her to listen to her niece's reasons.

"Why is that?" She asked gently.

"Because..." Renesmee hesitated. "Because I don't want to hurt them." She said in a very quiet voice. "And because I don't want them to be hurt by their father."

It was as if Rosalie's heart was being squeezed so painfully it could tear as if it were still soft tissue. "Grandpa said he made mistakes with Mom. And Renée definitely did as well. They hurt her, and Grandpa regrets it. He regrets not fighting harder for Mom, for not being there for her and allowing Renée to take her away just like that and barely being able to see her. And apparently, Renée was hurt by her parents too, if what Grandpa says is true, and I know he's not lying." Renesmee's voice was brutally frank. "And they made mistakes with her and didn't stay together either. And now Mom and Edward have done the same to me." Renesmee pursed her lips while Rosalie's shoulders slumped. She knew where her niece was coming from.

"I don't want to hurt them. And I think it's better that they don't exist rather than being hurt the way Dad hurt me." Renesmee said quietly. "And Mom. And Jacob. I never want that to happen to anyone else."

"Renesmee," Rosalie said sadly "you don't know whether you will be a bad parent. Or whether you and whoever you end up with will part ways."

Renesmee shook her head vehemently, curls bouncing. "Mom wanted to be a better parent than Renée," she reminded fiercely "and I bet Renée felt the same way about Mom's Gran. Instead, I think they went from one bad thing to another."

"So, you can know not to do the same. You can learn from their mistakes."

"It doesn't matter," Renesmee insisted "what if I make my own mistakes? Those different from my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, but still as bad and hurtful to my children?"

"Honey," Rosalie whispered "all parents make mistakes. Even the best ones. And not just parents, but individual people too. But we learn from them; that's what's important."

Renesmee was silent, but Rosalie could tell her niece, although now uncertain, had yet to be swayed.

Not that she was planning on doing that, Rosalie thought. She was determined to respect Renesmee's wishes and not try to change anything. Besides, if what Gabrielle said about Dhampyr potentially having fertility problems was true, then it might be for the best that Renesmee would not miss such a thing.

"I also don't know if I can fall in love and get married," Renesmee said, still in a quiet voice but more strained. "How do I know I won't end up with someone like Jacob or Edward? Or Renée? Or Renée's dad? How do I know how not to make Mom and Grandpa's mistakes?"

Charlie had warned her, told her about her great-grandparents on her mom's side of the family, and of how he and Renée broke down and fell apart. And now Renesmee just had a front-row seat to the ending of her parents' formerly loving marriage.

How did anyone know whether she would make the same mistake? Whether she would end up like her adoptive grandparents, Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, or like Mom and Edward, Grandpa and Renée, or Renée and her second husband, Phil? Or her great-grandma and grandpa, Marie and Beau Higginbotham?

It was a question that gnawed constantly on the insides. Where did they go wrong? Was it because, like her parents and grandparents, they married too quickly and too young? But was that the case with Renée and her second husband Phil? How about her great-grandparents? What mistakes did they make that Renesmee needed to avoid? What mistakes did they not make that Renesmee might or could, someday? Or her husband? She didn't even know what he would be like, much less how they would get along. How would she know if she has met the right person? How do they even begin to be happy together?

All these questions circled and buzzed like mosquitoes trapped inside of Renesmee's head, causing her a massive headache. Oh well, at least Edward wasn't around. One thing was certain, though: Renesmee would be taking all the time in the world before making a permanent decision. And she would have to make sure about who this person was, and not do what either Mom or Edward did. Or Renée with either Charlie or Phil.

If she would ever decide it was worth it to get married or just fall in love with someone else.

Rosalie looked knowingly towards her niece. "We don't know what the future holds," she confessed, drawing Renesmee closer towards her "but it's yours to make as you wish."

Renesmee doubted she would ever find peace with everything she had discovered, everything her father had done. Or Jacob. But she so desperately wanted to.

"Would it help?" She found herself asking, for some reason she didn't know. "If I understood Edward, why he did what he did, why he was the way he was... would it help if I went with Mom to Chicago? See where it all started."

Rosalie looked thoughtful. "I think it might be a start," she said gently. Rosalie held her niece close. "It's a process, and it sounds like it's a long one, but we have all the time in the world, and, most importantly, it needs to start somewhere."

Happy New Year folks!

Just saying, I've gotten a lot of messages about adapting my work into a comic, even though I don't know how this was going to work out. Like I said- repeatedly- this is an internal story. The majority of the character arcs and journeys are undertaken internally. There's a lot of soul-searching and epiphanies, moments of shock and horror, yet moments of strength. If you can convey that on an illustration, then feel free.

Guest: It's supposed to be that way. This is a Deconstruction fic. Edward is not an evil person, and this fic makes that perfectly clear- despite the bias that some, including Leah and Charlie, have against him (although it's understandable in their cases) but when the Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions then quite frankly there was no other result for the consequences of Edward's actions. He was harmful. He was abusive. He was controlling. And he was manipulative. Even die-hard Team Edward fans can't dispute that, as much as they worship him. They can only agree that his intentions were born out of love, care and fears for Bella's safety and wellbeing- therefore, his intentions were good- but it doesn't mean his actions were any less harmful. Quite frankly, Edward is only reaping what he sowed.