Today is the big day...
We were all in the field waiting on the Volturi to show up. I was standing in between Carlisle and Edward in my human form keeping my eyes towards the forest line in front of us. Slowly the mass of black cloaks broke the tree line and didn't stop until they met us half-way... As I scanned the crowd, I saw Irina being held behind the one person that I haven't seen in years...
I heard Carlisle and Aro speaking but my mouth spoke before my brain caught up...
"Caius, sei davvero tu?!" (Caius, is that really you?) Thank you grams for the mandatory Italian lessons!
"Piccolo fiore?!" (Little flower?) I couldn't help my excitement and ran to him. I didn't get close to him before someone or ones grabbed my arms, keeping me from going any further. When I went to turn and rip their arms off I couldn't believe my eyes...
"Fel?! Dem?! Nessuno di voi riesce a lavorare telefono più?" (Fel?! Dem?! Neither of you can work an phone anymore?)They looked shocked before the recognition set in...
"Victoria?! You're pregnant?"
"The one and only! You know, for one of you being a tracker, I thought that you would at least be able to find me once I missed my annual summer trip... And yeah, with twins at that..."
"Fiore, how are you involved in this? What caused you to miss your trip? How's Diana?"
"She passed a few years ago and it didn't feel right to go back without her... As for why I'm here, you know that I could never let a child come to harm under my watch... Half vampire or not, the child has done nothing wrong."
"But how did you become wrapped up in this world?"
"Really Caius? Did you really think that I wouldn't piece together the obvious? The cold skin... Not coming out in the sun... Not to mention how you three could lift me like it was nothing... And I'm not exactly light..."
"You always were too observant for your own good..." Caius actually laughed at that and the guard froze at the sound.
"Are you quite finished brother, or are we interrupting?" oops...
As I gave Caius one last hug, I told him that I would call him after this was all over. When I returned to the Cullens side, everyone was giving me strange looks. I just shrugged as I took a spot next to Ness but away from Bella... I may love Renesmee, but I will never like Bella because all she does is start trouble and expects everyone else to clean up the mess... I felt her pull on my sleeve wanting me to pick her up which I did happily, being careful of my growing belly, and I felt her hand rest on my cheek.
"Is he a friend of yours, Auntie Vicky?"
"Yes, he is little one... An old friend that I haven't seen in years... Would you like a piece of candy to help your nerves?"
"Yes please!" I pulled out a Hershey kiss and gave it to her. She giggled as she ate it and snuggled into my side while Carlisle and Edward talked with Aro... I tensed up when he said that he wanted to meet her. I looked at her to see if she was ok to do so and she reluctantly nodded yes. I carried her while Bella walked beside us because I didn't want her in harms' way... I knew full well what Aro is capable of and I refuse to have her be any closer than she needed to be.
As he took notice of her, he cackled... This s.o.b. actually cackled. He must be more messed up in the head than I thought...
"I hear her strange heart..." That statement alone had me tighten my hold on her. His gaze flicked from her to me at my action.
"And who are you to this one? You don't smell human nor of those wolves, but you have a heartbeat... Well, three to be precise..."
"I am her zia. And I am not entirely human, at least not anymore. My story is a very long one that I would be happy to tell at a different time. I know that you have seen through Edward what she is, but I also know that you saw that she has the gift of thought communication..."
"My, very observant indeed..." She lifted her hand to my cheek again...
"Let me show him."
"Are you sure little one?" She nodded yes and motioned for me to put her down. I was hesitant but she grabbed my hand after her feet were on the ground.
"Hello, Aro." As he reached his hand out, she took a step forward and placed her hand on his cheek and showed him her story.
"Magnifico!" As she stepped back I pulled her behind me as I stepped in front as a shield.
"Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived and carried by this newborn while she was still human..."
"Impossible!" Aro looked like he was ready to say something, but I beat him to it.
"Really Caius? Do you honestly think that I would stand here with them if they changed a child? With as much as I love and care for children, do you not think that I would have ended them myself before you could have even caught wind that it happened?" He looked a little guilty at that...
"Bring the informant forward. Is that the child you saw?"
"I'm not sure..." I hate this bitch almost as much as Bella...
"Jane?"
"This child is bigger..." No shit sherlock...
"Then the allegations were false." Duh!
"The Cullens are innocent. I take full responsibility for my mistake." With that Caius and Felix end her existence and I can't honestly say that I will miss her... Good riddance! Her sisters almost start a war then and there but were held back... Guess crazy and impulsive runs in that family...
Alice and Cody showed up at the last minute and showed Aro something she saw. As he snapped back to reality, he was staring intently at me. I shifted Ness back to Bella because I had a feeling something was about to go down.
"Come forward my child." Oh fuck... What the hell did Alice show him?!
"May I?" Fuck it, like I really have a choice...
I could actually feel his presence in my mind, and it felt a little weird. He seemed to spend a bit of time poking around two parts of my memories, those being my time in Italy and around my relationships both past and present. As he lingered on a particularly painful memory, I felt a tear slide down my cheek.
"Oh, my. The things you been through for such a young age..."
"Enough brother!" With that he dropped my hand and turned to Caius.
Aro moved to go towards him but Marcus gently grabbed his shoulder before whispering something in his ear and glancing at me. When he turned back to me his eyes were as wide as records.
"You are a very curious thing indeed. To have the bonds that you have and the strength of them all... It is simply beautiful... How deeply you form a bond with another... Even Chelsea couldn't change or alter them..."
What the fuck?! I slowly started taking steps back to my side of this, but my eyes never left Aro. When I was close to our line, he started towards me and my wolf was not happy. I felt my body start to shake and I growled at Aro as he came to a stop a few feet in front of me. I made sure to keep my body in front of Renesmee so that she was blocked from his view in case he got any ideas.
At the sound of my growls, the pack emerged from the tree line behind us and joined our formation with Jacob on my right and Paul and Seth on our flanks. The rest of the pack filled in the holes we left between covens and the kids staying close to Jasper. Once Aro saw that we were a solid and united front, he retreated back to the safety of his precious guard.
I kept my arm around Ness to make sure she was safe. I just want this to be over so we could go home...
"You see there is no law broken here."
"Be that as it may, does it then follow that there is no danger? Spare ourselves a fight today, only to die tomorrow..." Oh I'll show you death and it won't be kind or quick...
As I moved to take a step forward, another pair moved from the tree line. They were dressed similar to the Brazilian coven that was already present. As they walked towards Aro, I strained to hear what they were saying.
"I'm half mortal, half immortal like the child." Wait... Another hybrid?
Bella of course had to hear herself speak... "How old are you?" Ok, so maybe a valid question...
"A hundred and fifty years." She turned to Ness with a smile... One of the few maternal things she has done so far...
"At what age did you reach maturity?"
"I became full grown seven years after my birth. I haven't changed since then." Aro seemed intrigued by that fact... While I was simply happy that her quick growth didn't mean a short life...
"And your diet?" Please be like Ness...
"Blood, human food, I can survive on either." Oh, thank God...
They turned to turned to regroup now that their original purpose in negated... But I had a feeling that this still was not over yet...
"We are proposing a one on one combat to settle this..." Of fucking course...
Carlisle stepped forward as our leader for this. "Between whom, Aro?" Probably me...
"The one my brothers seem so fond of... against myself." He smirked at me and I knew what I had to do... I passed Ness to Jacob's side and stepped forward.
"Done." I don't think he saw where I took down Emmett while I held back... The growls of my pack were slightly deafening but I will not let him hurt my family... Pregnant or not, he will die today.
"Splendid! No outside interference and to the death!" Is he always this theatrical?
"Fine by me. Give us more room, I would hate for anyone else to hurt in the process."
"Very well." The guard and our allies made a ring around us. As soon as I was in position, he ran at me full speed but what he didn't count on was my instincts to protect those I love and my unborn children.
I used his momentum against him and went straight for his legs and stabbed my heel into the back of his knee sending him off balance. He spun at me and I just barely managed to block it before he went for a second blow. I caught his arm on the second swing and ripped it off, tossing it to one of the wolves for guarding.
Once he processed that I, a measly mortal, took his arm with almost no effort he got pissed... Which made this all the more fun! He made a lunge at me again and I just flipped over him and kicked him in the back making him fly forwards and towards his guard.
"Are you done playing Aro? I thought that you were supposed to be vicious, but all I'm seeing is a scared boy who doesn't know when to stop... It's pathetic really..." Everything stopped around us, even the birds went quiet... Aro slowly turn back to me with a smile that made him look like a gremlin.
In an instant, he in front of me and had kicked my knee to the side but that still didn't stop me. I will not let him win... I let him think that I was getting weak and close to giving up but kept my defenses up, guarding my stomach in case he goes for a cheap shot... He instead went in for the kill shot and tried to go for my neck...
Big mistake there, buddy...
I dove under him and popped up behind him, kicked his legs out from under him and quickly torn his head from his body. As the rest of him hit the ground, I walked his head to his so called brothers.
"His body is yours to do with as you please..." He should have known better than to mess with a very protective and pregnant woman. I will do anything for those I consider family and that little girl is my family. "Are we good here Caius, Marcus?"
"Would you like the honor, Victoria? He casted the challenge so it is only your right to finish this." With that I am handed a lit torch and his head.
"Very well." As I walked back to his body, I grabbed his arm to add to the pile. I gave him enough respect and said a short prayer for the dead that I was taught on one of our UK trips that stopped in Ireland.
"May the road rise up to meet you and the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine upon your face. May joy and peace surround you now and bless you evermore, amen." With that I lit his body and blew out the torch.
I walked one final time to Caius and Marcus. "It is finished." And with that I hugged them both.
"Caius remember to call me. I'm not paying for international for nothing... You too as well Felix, Dem. I've missed you and I hope that this isn't the last time we meet." They both hugged me then the group sped away.
"They are on the run. Now is the time to end them." For fucks sake...
"Now listen here Drac one and two. That fight with Aro was not even half of my potential. I will not hesitate to end both of you, right here and right now... Go now and don't come back because I will not offer a second warning." They looked at each other a little scared by my threat then took off in the other direction.
As soon as they were out of sight I pulled my phone out and made a call... I said that if they came back I would end them, but I didn't say that I wouldn't have someone else do it...
"Dem, you may want to catch the two Romanians before y'all leave... I have a feeling that they will be causing a lot more trouble soon..." "Sure thing, I'll text you when it's done" "And that is why you are the best! Ciao!"
When I turned to the group, everyone was staring at me like I grew a second head...
"What did I do?"
"Anne..." As I took my next step, I collapsed to the ground as my knee finally gave out.
"Hey Carlisle, think you can fix this? I don't think it's supposed to look like this..." I couldn't help but laugh at this...
"Um, sure. But why are you laughing?" I just shrugged my shoulders...
"Because I've had worse... I should have a couple rolls of athletic tape and ace wrap in my bag..." Seth handed it to me, and I dug out a roll of each.
"Vicky do we even want to ask why you just carry stuff like that with you?"
"You really have to ask Jacob? I may fool people with the grace I have in heels but I still trip over nothing while barefoot. Plus, a couple years in medical training taught me to always be prepared... I'm honestly surprised that I didn't roll my ankle during that fight..."
Carlisle moved to work on my knee but stopped to make sure I was ok before he adjusted my leg. "Well it isn't broken just out of place."
"Then put it back in... I've always had issues with it anyways..." I braced myself and heard the sickening POP as it went back in place. He taped it to stabilize it then wrapped it to help until we got back to the house.
"Alright, someone help me up..." Paul wrapped his arms around me and lifted up being careful of my knee. Once I was back on my feet, I felt my phone buzz.
From Dem:
"It is done."
From me:
"Grazie!"
"They are gone! The Romanian coven is no more." I heard a few sighs of relief knowing that they can no longer cause problems.
"Anne, why didn't you tell us that you knew members of the Volturi?"
"Two reasons there Kate... One being that I had tried to fix this before we ever got everyone here, but apparently none of them could answer a damn phone anymore..."
"And the second?"
"If I outright said that I knew them, even just Caius, would any of you have trusted me?" Silence set in over the group as they realized that I had a point...
"Besides... Cai doesn't really like people knowing that he has a soft spot for a human... But he's kind of like my Italian older brother... I even have a video from my last trip of us singing while he played guitar..." (A/N: que song at top, picture as a duet...)
"Wait you can sing?" Really Eddie?
"Rude... Yes I can sing. I just reserve it for special times or in my car..."
"That was you the whole time? We have been trying to figure out why there were layered voices every time you came to the house..."
"Tada! My father was a musician and he taught me some things before he up and left... Music tends to have the biggest calming effect on me, besides a couple of other things... I tend to have an ever revolving soundtrack in my head when doing things..."
"That explains why you thoughts were so jumbled..."
"Yep... Never could manage to focus on one thing at a time... Always had multiple ideas and plans and to-do's bouncing around up here..."
"Not that this isn't fun and all, but can we take this back to the house?" My throbbing knee told me that I really needed to get somewhere more comfortable and to put on my brace...
"Paul, Seth, can you two help be back to the house? I have a knee brace in my office..."
"Of course you would... Babygirl, I'm surprised you didn't put in a full med wing for the house..."
"Good idea for an extension... I will probably need more space for the kids room since there are only two guest rooms left..."
"Not the time Annie..." *huff*
"Fine... I'll wait til after Andi gets here... Shit, I still have to get stuff done and there -" With that, I am carried back to the house before I got too far into my rant...
Andrea gets here next week!!!
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A/N: Jamie Campbell Bower has the voice of an angel!!! He is incredibly talented!