In Paris 1723

[1.16]

À notre chérie Geneviève [To our darling Genevieve]

De toi adorant mère et père [From your adoring mother and father]

Needless to say, we left the shop that day with the jewelry box in hand. 

The town, on the other hand, was reduced to nothing but rubble. 

As we walked, Nicolas had been cleaning his face and fixing his hair in the reflection of a shard of glass that he had picked up and carried with him, moaning and groaning about how he had messed up his perfectly styled hair. 

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at his childishness, looking down at the box that Nicolas had handed over to me with wonder, running my hands over the etching as we walked into the thick woods that surrounded the once-tiny town.

"Quelle destination maintenant?" Nicolas muttered, beginning to whistle as we walked through the silent woods together. [Where to now?]

______________________

I carefully closed the box, locking the faint memory away before hastily leaving the room not wanting to think about any of the other memories that were acquainted with the boxes. Shaking away the memory, I made my way toward the garage, where Rose had decided to busy herself with the task of fixing up yet another car she had somehow acquired.

"Still working?" I mused, smiling as I watched her drop her tool and pull herself out of the car she was under. Throwing her a towel to wipe the oil off of her hands, she muttered her thanks as she quickly caught it.

"Yeah, I don't really want to be near her at the moment," Rose said, motioning towards the door where Bella was re-greeting and introducing herself to Esme and Carlisle. 

I nodded my head in understanding, hopping up into the counter and offering to help her with her repairs. Spending the next hour talking and handing her whatever tools she needed.

Eventually, I bid her goodbye and headed back up the stairs, wanting to finish the painting that I had started a few days earlier. Stopping as I noticed my door ajar, my brow furrowing in confusion, knowing for certain that I had closed it when I had left earlier. Quickly muttering a few curses under my breath when I heard a heartbeat coming from inside the room.

Silently opening the door wider and stepping in, watching as she looked at the unfinished painting that sat on the easel in wonder. Her attention quickly was stolen by the boxes that were lined carefully on the dresser, making her way over and looking over them, opening one of them, and gasping at its contents.

"Find what you're looking for?" I call out, making her gasp as she quickly retracts her hand from the box. Cocking my head tot the side as I looked over her, her face turning a deep red as she tried to explain herself.

"Genevieve- I- I didn't- It's not- I didn't think," she stuttered out. I just walked forward, stopping only when I was right next to her, looking down at the jewelry box that sat in front of me.

"It's been a while since I've opened this one," I muttered, gently running my hand over the priceless jewels that sat inside it. "I inherited all of this when my parents died. There are plenty more, back at my other home. Tucked away from the horrors that the world holds. I guess that's one thing that never changed from when I was still human, the greed. The world runs on human greed, people always want more than they have. Willing to step on anyone to reach it."

"When were you turned?" Bella asked, I chuckled slightly as I turned away from the glittering diamonds to meet her gaze.

"Almost 300 years ago."