SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW ➻ DEMETRI VOLTURI

U N O

"What do you know about ages?" Tia said in a teasing tone as soon as Cecilia had let go of the couple. "If I remember correctly, you turned only seventeen today."

"Your time will come," Benjamin said, giving the human girl a soft nudge. 

"I know," she replied contently. Turning on the tippy toes of the fluffy slippers she was still wearing, she made her way to the couch to sit a little more comfortably. In the blink of an eye, Tia and Benjamin were seated on the chairs opposite of her. Her family followed at a more human-like pace. "So, how was your trip to Alaska?"

"It was good," Tia said, gazing at Benjamin with a look in her eyes Cecilia could only hope she would have one day. Like every other vampire, Tia was incredibly beautiful too. Her olive skin showed no imperfection and though they'd just travelled for thousands of miles, her hair still looked like she'd just walked out of the hairdresser's salon. It was her sing-song voice that was the most breathtaking though, reminding Cecilia more of a siren than a vampire. "We barely had any trouble."

"Barely?" her father asked, his eyebrows raised high. 

"There was a nomad in Russia with some issues," Benjamin said, giving Tia's hand a slight squeeze. A childlike smirk covered his face boyish-looking face. "Let's just say he's searching for the solutions somewhere deep underground."

Cecilia watched in amusement as Tia rolled her eyes, obviously a lot more mature than her soulmate. She loved Tia and Benjamin, even though she only saw them once every year, sometimes every two years. Mostly she liked listening to their stories, which were so different from the world she lived in. They'd even tried to teach her some Arabic, but though she had a knack for other old languages, Arabic really wasn't her piece of cake. 

"Anyway, since it's your birthday, we have a gift for you," Benjamin said. He held out an ancient-looking book, the cover made from real leather and engraved with Greek letters. "I found it in an old antique store, it's ancient Greek. At least, that's what the seller told me. You can read that, right?" 

"Yes, I can," she replied as she carefully opened the book. Her eyes scanned the title page, a smile covering her lips and her eyes radiating with joy. She absolutely loved books, especially ancient ones. "It's Hymn to Aprodite, I don't have it yet." She had to force herself to close the book, knowing that she'd lose herself in it too quickly and looked up to Tia and Benjamin, who were both smiling contently. "Thank you, really, I love it."

"So, how about I beat your ass in a game of... how is it called again? Marco car?"

"Mario Kart," Cecilia said, letting out a loud chuckle. "Be prepared to lose, though, you can't even remember the game's name, let alone how it works."

"Oh, you're really going to be like that, huh?" Benjamin called back as she went to start up the tv that was connected to the Gamestation. 

"You know she'll beat you," Tia said smugly, giving her lover a nudge. "The only time you won was when she was seven and you distracted her with a mini tornado."

"Yeah, that was pretty unfair."

"I'm joining too," Emmett announced, plopping on the couch so hard that the springs let out a protesting squeeze. 

Cecilia threw him and Benjamin both a steering wheel, which they caught gracefully. Grabbing her own wheel, she started up the game and took a seat next to Emmett. After two pools, in which she both finished first, even though Emmett had tried to get her off the track multiple times by giving her a nudge every now and then, both he and Benjamin started to complain. 

"You're cheating," Emmett said. 

"Yeah, how else can you beat two vampires?"

"I'm just great," Cecilia replied, smirking as she steered Princess Peach over the finish line as number one. Though her family might be more beautiful, faster and stronger, at least she was the best in Mario Kart, and she guessed that counted for something as well. 

"Yeah, great at cheating you mean," Emmett shot back. 

She walked over to the game station to shut it off. "Get over yourself, sore loser," she called over her shoulder. "You have twice as much time to practice and you're still shit."

"Suck that one up, McCarthy," Jasper chuckled. 

Cecilia turned around, an innocent smile on her lips as she watched Emmett staring daggers at his controller and steering wheel. "I'm just joking."

"The trick is to not apologise after you burn someone, Celia, it makes you look weak."

"I don't care."

Just as Emmett was about to reply, Renesmee and Jacob walked in, the first carrying a big cardboard package in her arms and just like that, Cecilia cancelled Emmetts teasing out like some white noise. Nessie was the only one that Cecilia somewhat considered as a sister, mainly because as she had some vague memories of the girl actually growing up, instead of just staying the way she looked, like now. 

"Happy birthday, Celia," Nessie said, smiling cheerily. "Now you're finally seventeen as well."

She had been found only a couple of months after the whole incident with Renesmee and the Volturi, leaving the two girls around the same age, though they matured at very different rates. "Thank you," she smiled.

Carefully, as if not to break the thing inside, Nessie placed the cardboard box on the dining table, looking at Cecilia enthusiastically. "Well, open up."

"Alright then," Cecilia said, feeling giddy with excitement. Gently, she opened the lid, revealing the beautiful cake underneath. It was round and covered in blue-green icing and on top of the cake was a one and a seven, both made of golden-coloured cookies. "It's beautiful, thank you!"

She hugged Nessie, and Jake as well, his warmth a welcome change to the usual cold she was surrounded with, before grabbing two plates, three forks and a big knife from the kitchen. 

"Well, it's a good thing you like it," Nessie said. "Jake almost ate half of it on the way here."

"I can't blame him."

The cake was way too big for three normal persons to eat by themselves, but then again, nothing really was normal in this household. Jake had to count for at least five persons with his wolflike appetite, pun intended. She cut off two pieces, placing them on the plates, before shoving the cardboard box to Jake and handing him a fork, knowing very well he would finish the rest of it with no problem.

"Gee, I just love birthdays," Jake said happily, stuffing his face with cake. 

"I could get you a bowl," Rose called out from the living room. "Sometimes I wonder whether you really are a dog or a pig."

"Whatever, blondie."

"By the way," Nessie said, breaking through the bickering of Rose and Jake. She leaned against the counter, her brown hair flowing over her shoulders in pretty curls, once again a reminder that even as a hybrid, she contained vampire-like perfection. "My parents wish you a happy birthday as well. They'll bring you a gift from Brazil to make up for it."

"Oh no, it's completely fine."

Cecilia had a strict no gifts from her family policy, since they spoiled her enough during the rest of the year. The only reason she liked her birthday was because members of faraway covens, like Benjamin and Tia, would visit her and that the day of her transformation was another year closer, but other than that it was just another day. So, she didn't really mind that Edward and Bella couldn't be there, knowing full well that the couple was enjoying themselves in Brazil. 

"They insist," Nessie said resolutely, ending the discussion.