When the early morning winter sunlight pierced over the Olympic Mountains and flooded into my bedroom, it was time to unwind myself from Jacob's arms because the day had to begin. I wasn't sure if our task was going to be more difficult than the rest of our family's. Convincing these strangers even of my existence seemed like a strained task let alone bringing Renesmee into the equation.

Jake and I left my father's home with a quick goodbye, and then Jacob phased, and we were off to meet Seth at the border of our lands. It was cold this morning. The frosted air forced its way into my lungs as I ran, my breath coming back out into billowing swirls of white mist in front of me. The ground was hard under our feet, and with each loping gallop, the ground shook as Jacob and Seth's paw prints impacted with it.

We caught Bella, Edward and Renesmee's scents just a few hundred metres ahead of us after we leapt across the river and it didn't take long for us to catch up with them as they weren't in a hurry, so we slowed our pace to match theirs. When we approached, I could see that Ness was fast asleep in Bella's arms and the couple were in mid-conversation concerning our guests that would be arriving soon.

"I wish there was a way to get the information we need from Eleazar before we tell them about Nessie," Edward muttered, the emotionless expression was back on his face, the dead one, the same one that he used when Bella was dying. "Just in case."

"But he wouldn't understand the question to answer it," Bella pointed out. "Do you think they'll let us explain?"

"I don't know." Edward mused, his voice firm.

We walked in silence, the thrumming of the boys' large hearts beating in sync set a rhythm for us.

"Edward, Aria, will you teach me how to fight?" Bella asked us, her face hopeful. I was more than willing to train her, but Edward's face proved otherwise. He spoke before I could answer her.

His eyes scanned over Bella's curious expression but then they flickered down to Renesmee, and he sighed. "If it comes to a fight, there won't be much any of us can do," he concluded miserably.

Bella kept her voice even. "Would you leave me unable to defend myself? I bet Aria agrees and thinks I should learn."

Suddenly I felt like this was a private conversation and I shouldn't even be present. I didn't want to get sucked into their argument. Jake side eyed me feeling the exact same way.

Edward swallowed harshly and his gaze turned to me, angrily, but it quickly subsided. "I didn't mean to—" I began but he cut me off.

"When you put it that way... I suppose we should get to work as soon as we can." The emotion was out of his voice again.

Bella looked thoughtful and then she spoke up again. "What would you say their biggest advantage is? Do they even have a weakness?"

"Alec and Jane are their greatest offence," he said emotionlessly, like we were talking of a football team instead of the Volturi. "Their defensive players rarely see any real action."

"Because Jane can burn you where you stand - mentally at least. What does Alec do? Didn't you once say he was even more dangerous than Jane?" Bella began to ramble, but she had peaked Jake and Seth's interest, and mine too.

"Yes. In a way, he is the antidote to Jane. She makes you feel the worst pain imaginable. Alec, on the other hand, makes you feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. Sometimes, when the Volturi are feeling kind, they have Alec anaesthetise someone before he is executed. If he has surrendered or pleased them in some other way." Edward explained in a lifeless tone.

"Anaesthetic? But how is that more dangerous than Jane?" Bella asked curiously but the knowledge inside Edward's head made me shudder.

"Because he cuts off your senses altogether. No pain, but also no sight or sound or smell. Total sensory deprivation. You are utterly alone in the blackness. You don't even feel it when they burn you. That would make him only equally as dangerous as Jane," Edward went on in the same detached voice, "in that they both can incapacitate you, make you into a helpless target. The difference between them is like the difference between Aro and me and Aria. Aro hears the mind of only one person at a time. Jane can only hurt the one object of her focus. We can hear everyone at the same time."

I felt cold as I saw where his mind was going. "And Alec can incapacitate us all at the same time?" I whispered, but with the way it came out of my mouth it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes," he said, and Bella shivered. "If he uses his gift against us, we will all stand blind and deaf until they get around to killing us - maybe they'll simply burn us without bothering to tear us apart first. Oh, we could try to fight, but we'll be more likely to hurt one another than we would be to hurt one of them."

We continued in silence for a few seconds as I watched Jacob imagine watching all of us turn into motionless, unaware zombies as the Volturi went through us, one by one, tearing us limb from limb. I winced when he got to me inside his head, he whimpered slightly but a fierce growl rumbled through his chest as his hatred and anger for the Volturi only increased.

"Do you think Alec is a very good fighter?" Bella asked suddenly. "Aside from what he can do, I mean. If he had to fight without his gift. I wonder if he's ever even tried..."

Edward glanced at Bella sharply. "What are you thinking?"

And then it clicked inside my head as Bella began to explain what she was getting at. "Well, he probably can't do that to Aria and me, can he? If what he does is like Aro and Jane and you. Maybe... if he's never really had to defend himself... and I learned a few tricks and with Aria's expertise--"

"He's been with the Volturi for centuries," Edward cut her off, his voice abruptly panicked. He was seeing the same image in his head that I was: the Cullens standing helpless, senseless pillars on the killing field - all but Bella and myself. We'd be the only ones who could fight. "Yes, you're both surely immune to his power, but, Bella, you are still a newborn. I can't make you that strong a fighter in a few weeks. I'm sure he's had training. And Aria, don't you dare even think about it."

It was too late I already was. I was faster than any other vampire on the planet. If I could just get to Jane or Alec and take one of them out, maybe with Bella's help the rest of the family would stand a chance.

"He's right." Jacob voiced. "No one will let you sacrifice yourself."

"That's not the point Jake, Bella and I could make this an even fight for us. And it might be the only thing we can do." I explained, refraining from rolling my eyes as I looked at the warning portrayed in his own.

"Maybe he has experience, maybe not. It's the one thing we can do that no one else can. Even if we can just distract him for a while--" Bella went on but, again, Edward interrupted her.

It was strange how this sudden urgency for survival had seemed to merge Bella and I's brains into one. We thought the same, held the same secrets, if only I could read her mind to understand better... and use my gift like Renesmee's on her. Renesmee could get through and I couldn't.

"Please, Bella," Edward said through his teeth. "Let's not talk about this."

"Be reasonable Edward, it would be a good tactic." I argued in place of Bella, ignoring Jacob's mind protests purposely.

"I will try to teach Bella what I can, with your help, but please don't make me think about you both sacrificing yourself as a diversion--" He choked, and didn't finish.

Bella nodded and sunk back into the ocean of her mind. We would have to talk in private concerning this as well. If we took Jane and Alec out, I could read the rest of their minds to decipher who else was an extreme danger to the family. Bella and I could work together surprisingly well if this happened.

"I have to learn everything. As much as you can possibly cram into my head in the next month. Aria you even beat Jasper, please you have to help me." Bella murmured grasping my wrist in her free hand.

"I will I promise." I swore, taking her hand off my wrist and squeezed it reassuringly.

Who would be next, then? After Jane and Alec? Obviously, fighters. Felix was beyond Bella and possibly me, I could be physically stronger, but his training would be much more advanced. I didn't know much about the rest of the Volturi guard, besides Demetri...

"Demetri is mine," Edward said in a hard, tight voice, I didn't even realised I'd let my barrier slip. I needed to be more careful with that. I looked at him quickly and saw that his expression had turned violent.

"Why?" I whispered.

He didn't answer at first. "For Alice. It's the only thanks I can give her now for the last fifty years." If Demetri was taken out, the Volturi would never be able to find Alice.

"Edward, why do you think Alice told us to ask Eleazar about the Volturi? Has he been in Italy recently or something? What could he know?" Bella asked changing the subject back to Alice.

"Eleazar knows everything when it comes to the Volturi. I forgot you didn't know. He used to be one of them." he said nonchalantly.

Bell hissed involuntarily. Jacob and Seth growled beside me.

"What?" Bella and I demanded simultaneously, in my head picturing the beautiful dark-haired man at the wedding wrapped in a long, ashy cloak, his eyes aflame with the burning, blood red.

Edward's face was softer now - he smiled a little. "Eleazar is a very gentle person. He wasn't entirely happy with the Volturi, but he respected the law and its need to be upheld. He felt he was working toward the greater good. He doesn't regret his time with them. But when he found Carmen, he found his place in this world. They are very similar people, both very compassionate for vampires." He smiled again. "They met Tanya and her sisters, and they never looked back. They are well suited to this lifestyle. If they'd never found Tanya, I imagine they would have eventually discovered a way to live without human blood on their own."

How could someone so compassionate be willingly involved in the Volturi? Well, then again, Carlisle was with them for a few decades as well.

"Did he fight for them?" Jacob spat inside his mind, already putting his guard up for when he would meet Eleazar later.

Edward glanced at Jacob and answered the question. "No, he wasn't one of their warriors, so to speak. He had a gift they found convenient."

"What is it?" Seth asked finally speaking up. He had been in one of his Renesmee comas as I called it. Thoughts of her would just take over his mind, distracting him.

"He has an instinctive feel for the gifts of others - the extra abilities that some vampires have," Edward told him. "He could give Aro a general idea of what any given vampire was capable of just by being in proximity with him or her. This was helpful when the Volturi went into battle. He could warn them if someone in the opposing coven had a skill that might give them some trouble. That was rare; it takes quite a skill to even inconvenience the Volturi for a moment. More often, the warning would give Aro the chance to save someone who might be useful to him. Eleazar's gift works even with humans, to an extent. He has to really concentrate with humans, though, because the latent ability is so nebulous. Aro would have him test the people who wanted to join, to see if they had any potential. Aro was sorry to see him go."

"They let him go?" Bella asked, surprised. "Just like that?"

His smile was darker now, a little twisted. "The Volturi aren't supposed to be the villains, the way they seem to you. They are the foundation of our peace and civilisation. Each member of the guard chooses to serve them. It's quite prestigious; they all are proud to be there, not forced to be there."

Bella scowled at the ground.

"They're only alleged to be heinous and evil by the criminals."

"We're not criminals." I interjected furiously and Jacob huffed in agreement.

"They don't know that." Edward defended them, though he didn't like to do it.

"Do you really think we can make them stop and listen?" Jacob asked, that same underlying fear from last night present in his voice.

Edward hesitated just the tiniest moment and then shrugged. "If we find enough friends to stand beside us. Maybe... Tanya shouldn't be too much longer," Edward said. "We need to be ready."

When we got to the house the planning began. It was strange entering the house with it being completely empty. It reminded me of when they left, and then again when they went hunting the morning before the battle with the newborns. It was like the empty house was just a symbol for every time we faced danger and death.

Finally, we decided that Edward would greet them out by the front of the house, so if anything got out of hand nothing inside the house would be destroyed. Jake and I would wait inside the house, by the front door to be on hand to help Edward if he needed us. Bella, Seth and Ness would wait upstairs in the lounge out of sight.

Edward leaned motionlessly against door, staring toward the floor. It didn't look like he was seeing the room in front of him. His mind was focused on hearing the thoughts of our cousins, trying to determine when they would arrive, and I was doing the same.

My hands were clasped tightly around one of Jacob's. I was only allowed one hand because he wanted to keep his hands free in case he had to phase quickly. I was just being stubborn, and he was being overly cautious.

We listened to the cars zooming past us out on the freeway, none of them slowing. The thoughts that filled my head were just random musings of those inside the cars.

Renesmee's voice startled the silence as she spoke from upstairs, knowing that we would all be able to hear her. "What if they don't like me?" she whispered, and Edward's eyes flashed to mine in panic.

"Of course they'll—" Seth started to say, but I could see Bella silenced him with a look.

"They don't understand you, Renesmee, because they've never met anyone like you," Bella told her. "Getting them to understand is the problem."

She sighed, and in my head flashed pictures of all of us in one quick burst. Vampire, human, werewolf. Vampire-werewolf-human hybrid. She fit nowhere.

"You're special, that's not a bad thing." I called up the stairs to her. "You're like me but so unique in other ways. They like me so they'll love you."

She shook her head in disagreement. She thought of our strained faces and said, "This is my fault."

"No," We all said at exactly the same time, but before we could argue further, we heard the sound we'd been waiting for: the slowing of an engine on the freeway, the tyres moving from pavement to soft dirt.

Edward darted out the door, closing it quickly yet softly behind himself as he stood to wait on the grass below the porch steps. Jake gripped my hands tightly as we prepared ourselves on the other side of the door.

The car drove quickly through the woods, the speed only comparable to the Cullens. We heard it pull into driveway and stop by the front porch. Four doors opened and closed.

"Edward!" Tanya enthused, leading the group towards the porch.

"Hello, Tanya. Kate, Eleazar, Carmen."

The other three murmured their hellos.

"Carlisle said he needed to talk to us right away," Tanya said. "What's the problem? Trouble with the werewolves?" She smirked.

Jacob rolled his eyes and squeezed my hand a little tighter. "Calm it down." I told him through my gift.

"No," Edward said. "Our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever."

Kate chuckled and it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" Tanya asked. And then she continued without waiting for an answer. "Where's Carlisle?"

"Carlisle had to leave." Edward said quickly.

"What's going on, Edward?" Tanya demanded. "Why is your new bride and her cousin inside?"

"Why are there wolves as well, I can smell them from here?" Kate asked, wrinkling her nose up in disgust.

"If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes," he answered. "I have something difficult to explain, and I'll need you to be open-minded until you understand."

"Is Carlisle all right?" Eleazar asked anxiously.

"None of us are all right, Eleazar," Edward said, and then he patted Eleazar's shoulder. "But physically, Carlisle is fine."

"Physically?" Tanya asked sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that my entire family is in very grave danger. But before I explain, I ask for your promise. Listen to everything I say before you react. I am begging you to hear me out."

A long silence greeted his request and from Edward's thoughts I knew that was Jacob and I's cue to join them outside. We exited the house cautiously, still hand in hand, the disgust grew on each of the Denali Coven's faces as they saw Jacob and I approach.

"I knew those werewolves were involved," Tanya muttered.

"Yes, and they're on our side. Again." I stressed, keeping my grip on Jake to keep the peace.

The reminder silenced Tanya.

"Aria, your beauty and uniqueness still doesn't disappoint." Carmen greeted me with a smile, though she was a little unsure due to Jacob looming over me.

"Thank you," I said kindly and glanced at Edward.

"Sorry for my bluntness, but why have you brought the wolf to receive us?" Eleazar asked curiously.

"We just need to stress how open you minded you need to be. I'm a freak of nature, you know this, before the wedding Carlisle explained to you what I was, and you had your reservations but once you met me you saw that I was no threat to you. Am I right?" I explained seriously and their concerns and confusion increased.

"You are right. But what does this have to do with anything?" Tanya insisted, stepping closer toward the house. "Where's Bella? How is she?"

"She'll join us shortly. She's well, thank you. She's taken to immortality with amazing finesse." Edward clarified with a brief smugness.

"Tell us about the danger, Edward," Tanya said quietly. "We'll listen, and we'll be on your side, where we belong." She finished eyeing Jacob and I nervously.

Edward took a deep breath. "I'd like you to witness for yourselves first. Listen - out here and then inside the house. What do you hear?"

Tanya and Kate stepped forward to investigate.

"Just listen first, please," Edward said.

"Another werewolf, I assume. I can hear his heart," Tanya said.

"What else?" Edward asked.

There was a pause.

"What is that thrumming?" Carmen asked. "Is that... some kind of a bird?"

"No but remember what you're hearing. What do you hear inside me?" I pointed out. "Now, what do you smell? Besides the werewolf."

"Is there a human here?" Eleazar whispered.

"No," Tanya disagreed. "It's not human... but... closer to human than the rest of the scents here. What is that? I don't think I've ever smelled that fragrance before."

"You most certainly have not, Tanya. Please, please remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconceived notions. Unless you're thinking of Aria."

"I promise you I will listen, Edward." Tanya stated firmly.

"All right, then. Bella, Seth? Bring out Renesmee, please."

Subconsciously I held my breath in angst. I didn't know how they would react because they didn't know what Bella was bringing out to them.

Bella took one step out of the door and froze, waiting up on the porch, Renesmee in her arms as Seth stood slightly in front of them protectively.

Tanya skittered back four steps, her strawberry curls quivering. Kate jumped back all the way to the car and braced herself against the door there. A shocked hiss came from between her clenched teeth. Eleazar threw himself in front of Carmen in a protective crouch.

"The Volturi will come for all of us!" Kate seethed.

"You get that thing out of here!" Tanya ordered; her teeth bared.

"Oh, please." I heard Jacob complain under his breath.

Edward put his arms out pleasingly. "You promised to listen," he reminded them.

"Some things cannot be heard!" Tanya exclaimed. "How could you, Edward? Do you not know what this means?"

"We have to get out of here," Kate said anxiously, her hand on the door handle.

"Edward..." Eleazar seemed beyond words.

"Wait," Edward said, his voice harder now. "Remember what you hear, what you smell. Renesmee is not what you think she is."

"There are no exceptions to this rule, Edward," Tanya snapped back. "This is a crime!"

Edward and I saw it coming, a split second before it happened. Tanya lunged for Edward, her hands already out in front of her, taking the form of claws as a hiss escaped her lips. Edward acted instinctively, blocking her advance as he met her head on, he dodged her attack and pushed her away with force. Her body twirled through the air, over the top of their car and into a fir tree on the other side of the yard.

I dropped Jacob's hand but still felt as if I was frozen in place, much like everyone else around us apart from Kate. She made for Edward next, but he didn't have time to even think as she gripped onto where his neck met his shoulder with one strong hand.

Edward became paralysed as Kate let the electric current run through her hands and into Edward, the electric pulse coursed through him as he became stuck in place. I knew that Kate had a gift, but I imagined it like this... she was like Jane.

We were all quite bewildered but as the thought of Jane's ability swept over my mind it gave me an idea. If I was immune to Jane, then I could be immune to Kate too.

Without a second thought I blurred towards the two of them, my own hand clamping down on the wrist of the hand that was incapacitating Edward. Kate reacted how I expected and tried to remove my hand with her free one, trying to cause me pain, but all I felt was her icy skin on mine.

"Aria!" Jacob's panicked voice rang in my ears as his heavy, fast footfalls followed.

Kate's confused eyes met mine and then darted to Jacob in fear as she watched him hurtling towards us about to phase. And then suddenly Tanya was flying overhead, leaping over us to collide with Jacob, sending him hurtling back towards the porch steps.

Already fired up, Jacob phased before he impacted with the ground and landed easily on his paws to stand defensively in front of Seth, Bella and Renesmee. I snapped myself out of the distraction and pried Kate's fingers off of my wrist and twisted her arm back to the point where it would snap.

She hissed in pain and released Edward, so I moved quickly and lifted my leg up to kick her in the stomach. She flew backwards and crashed into the side of their car, the blow shattering both the passenger windows on the left-hand side, crumpling the car inwards squashing the middle completely.

I turned on my heel and sprinted towards Tanya and Jake, I caught the back of Tanya's jacket and pulled her backwards, throwing her as well so she collided with Kate who was still trying to separate herself from the car.

I positioned myself back at Edward's side, his arms out ready in case Carmen or Eleazar decided to join in with the fight. Jacob flanked us and I knew from the anger and adrenaline pulsing through my veins that the red in my eyes had returned, my mirror reflection in the Denali's minds confirmed it.

Kate and Tanya scrambled to their feet and ran towards us, but I stepped up and let a growl rip through my chest. "Stay back!" I threatened, glaring at them so they could see the red and their advance faltered.

"Tanya," Edward said sharply, "you can hear her heartbeat! Stop and think about what that means."

Tanya tore her fiery gaze away from my own to look at Edward and then Renesmee.

"Her heartbeat?" Carmen whispered, peering around Eleazar's shoulder.

"She's not a full vampire child," Edward answered, directing his attention toward Carmen's less hostile expression. "She is half-human."

The four vampires stared at him like he was speaking a language none of them knew.

"Hear me." Edward's voice shifted into a smooth, persuading tone. "Renesmee is one of a kind. I am her father. Not her creator - her biological father."

Tanya's head was shaking, just a tiny movement. She didn't seem aware of it.

"Edward, you can't expect us to—," Eleazar started to say.

"Tell me another explanation that fits, Eleazar. You can feel the warmth of her body in the air. Blood runs in her veins, Eleazar. You can smell it."

"How?" Kate breathed.

"Bella is her biological mother," Edward told her. "She conceived, carried, and gave birth to Renesmee while she was still human. It nearly killed her. I was hard-pressed to get enough venom into her heart to save her."

"I've never heard of such a thing," Eleazar said. His shoulders were still stiff, his expression cold.

"Physical relationships between vampires and humans are not common," Edward answered, a bit of dark humour in his tone now. "Human survivors of such trysts are even less common. Wouldn't you agree, cousins?"

Both Kate and Tanya scowled at him.

"Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance."

It was Carmen who responded to Edward's words. She stepped around Eleazar, ignoring his half-articulated warning, and walked carefully to stand right in front of me. I straightened myself up and relaxed myself, she touched her cool hand to my arm, asking with her eyes for my acceptance to pass.

"Bella, bring Ness over here. It's safe now." I called back to her and the almost silent pair of footsteps signalled their approach. They curved around Jacob, Renesmee running her small hand over his furry back until she got to his head when Bella stopped beside him, Seth on her other side.

Edward stayed between the two groups as I moved forward with Carmen following behind me. I stopped next to Jake, and he nuzzled into my neck knowing it would help to soothe me. Carmen moved to stand before Bella and Renesmee, she leaned down slightly, looking carefully into Renesmee's face.

"You seem to have your mother's eyes," she said in a low, calm voice, "but your father's face." And then, as if she could not help herself, she smiled at Renesmee.

Renesmee's answering smile was dazzling. She touched Bella's face without looking away from Carmen. She imagined touching Carmen's face, wondering if that was okay.

"Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself?" Bella whispered to Carmen. "She has a gift for explaining things."

Carmen was still smiling at Renesmee. "Do you speak, little one?"

"Yes," Renesmee answered in her high voice. All of Tanya's family flinched at the sound of her voice except for Carmen. "But I can show you more than I can tell you."

She placed her little dimpled hand on Carmen's cheek.

Carmen stiffened like an electric shock had run through her. Eleazar was at her side in an instant, his hands on her shoulders as if to yank her away.

"Wait," Carmen said breathlessly, her unblinking eyes locked on Renesmee's.

Renesmee "showed" Carmen her explanation for a long time. Showing her everything she could remember from birth until now, even memories from when she was inside Bella.

Seth shifted his weight impatiently behind Bella. "What's Nessie showing her?" he grumbled under his breath.

"Everything," Edward murmured.

Another minute passed, and Renesmee dropped her hand from Carmen's face. She smiled winningly at the stunned vampire.

"She really is your daughter, isn't she?" Carmen breathed, switching her wide topaz eyes to Edward's face. "Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a very gifted father."

Edward looked at me then. "That may be the case, but Aria has the same gift, so we aren't sure. But do you believe what she showed you?" Edward asked, his expression intense.

"Without a doubt," Carmen said simply.

Eleazar's face was rigid with distress. "Carmen!"

Carmen took his hands into her own and squeezed them. "Impossible as it seems, Edward and Aria have told you nothing but truth. Let the child show you."

Carmen nudged Eleazar closer to Bella and then nodded at Renesmee. "Show him, mi querida"

Renesmee grinned, clearly delighted with Carmen's acceptance, and touched Eleazar lightly on the forehead.

"Ay caray!" He spat and jerked away from her.

"What did she do to you?" Tanya demanded, coming closer warily. Kate crept forward, too. I watched them intensely and they felt uncomfortable under my gaze.

"She's just trying to show you her side of the story," Carmen told him in a soothing voice.

Renesmee frowned impatiently. "Watch, please," she commanded Eleazar. She stretched her hand out to him and then left a few inches between her fingers and his face, waiting.

Eleazar eyed her suspiciously and then glanced at Carmen for help. She nodded encouragingly. Eleazar took a deep breath and then leaned closer until his forehead touched her hand again.

He shuddered when it began but held still this time, his eyes closed in concentration.

"Ahh," he sighed when his eyes reopened a few minutes later. "I see."

Renesmee smiled at him. He hesitated, then smiled a slightly unwilling smile in response.

"Eleazar?" Tanya asked.

"It's all true, Tanya. This is no immortal child. She's half-human. Come. See for yourself."

In silence, Tanya took her turn standing warily before Bella, and then Kate, both showing shock as that first image hit them with Renesmee's touch. But then, just like Carmen and Eleazar, they seemed completely won over as soon as it was done.

I listened in on their thoughts, grateful they were all accepting and allowing themselves to be convinced into the truth. I knew I would have to apologise later though, for damaging their car at least, I wouldn't apologise for defending Edward or the rest of my family.

"Thank you for listening," Edward said quietly.

"But there is the grave danger you warned us of," Tanya said. "Not directly from this child, I see, but surely from the Volturi, then. How did they find out about her? When are they coming?"

"When Bella and Aria saw Irina that day in the mountains," Edward explained, "they had Renesmee with them."

Kate hissed, her eyes narrowing to slits, "Irina did this? To you? To Carlisle? Irina?"

"No," Tanya whispered disbelieving. "Someone else..."

"Alice saw her go to them," Edward said. I wondered if the others noticed the way he winced just slightly when he spoke Alice's name.

"How could she do this thing?" Eleazar asked.

"Imagine if you had seen Renesmee only from a distance. If you had not waited for our explanation." I cut in, needing the four semi-strangers to relax around me.

Tanya's eyes tightened. "No matter what she thought... You are our family."

I nodded and mouthed the words thank you to her. I guess the air was now clear, so I needed to work on calming down to get my eyes back to normal without the help of Jasper.

"There's nothing we can do about Irina's choice now. It's too late. Alice gave us a month." Edward went on to explain.

Both Tanya's and Eleazar's heads cocked to one side. Kate's brows furrowed.

"So long?" Eleazar asked.

"They are all coming. That must take some preparation." I informed them and their eyes widened.

Eleazar gasped. "The entire guard?"

"Not just the guard," Edward said, his jaw straining tight. "Aro, Caius, Marcus. Even the wives."

Shock glazed over all their eyes.

"Impossible," Eleazar said blankly.

"I would have said the same two days ago," Edward said.

Eleazar scowled, and when he spoke it was nearly a growl. "But that doesn't make any sense. Why would they put themselves and the wives in danger?"

"It doesn't make sense from that angle. Alice said there was more to this than just punishment for what they think we've done. She thought you could help us." Edward went on.

"More than punishment? But what else is there?" Eleazar started pacing, stalking backwards and forwards as if he were alone, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the ground.

"Where are the others, Edward? Carlisle and Alice and the rest?" Tanya asked.

Edward's hesitated, he answered only part of her question. "Looking for friends who might help us."

Tanya leaned toward him, holding her hands out in front of her. "Edward, no matter how many friends you gather, we can't help you win. We can only die with you. You must know that. Of course, perhaps the four of us deserve that after what Irina has done now, after how we've failed you in the past - for her sake that time as well."

Edward shook his head quickly. "We're not asking you to fight and die with us, Tanya. You know Carlisle would never ask for that."

"Then what, Edward?"

"We're just looking for witnesses. If we can make them pause, just for a moment. If they would let us explain..." He touched Renesmee's cheek; she grabbed his hand and held it pressed against her skin. "It's difficult to doubt our story when you see it for yourself."

Tanya nodded slowly. "Do you think her past will matter to them so much?"

"Only as it foreshadows her future. The point of the restriction was to protect us from exposure, from the excesses of children who could not be tamed."

"I'm not dangerous at all," Renesmee interjected. "I never hurt Grandpa, or Uncle Robbie or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like Uncle Jake and my Seth." She dropped Edward's hand to reach back and pat Seth's arm.

Tanya and Kate exchanged a quick glance.

"If Irina had not come so soon," Edward mused, "we could have avoided all of this. Renesmee grows at an unprecedented rate. By the time the month is past, she'll have gained another half year of development."

"Well, that is something we can certainly witness," Carmen said in a decided tone. "We'll be able to promise that we've seen her mature ourselves. How could the Volturi ignore such evidence?"

Eleazar mumbled, "How, indeed?" but he did not look up, and he continued pacing as if he were paying no attention at all.

"Yes, we can witness for you," Tanya said. "Certainly that much. We will consider what more we might do."

"Tanya," Edward protested, hearing more in her thoughts than there was in her words, "we don't expect you to fight with us."

"If the Volturi won't pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by," Tanya insisted. "Of course, I should only speak for myself."

Kate snorted. "Do you really doubt me so much, sister?"

Tanya smiled widely at her. "It is a suicide mission, after all."

Kate flashed a grin back and then shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm in."

"I, too, will do what I can to protect the child," Carmen agreed. Then, as if she couldn't resist, she held her arms out toward Renesmee. "May I hold you, bebe linda?"

Renesmee reached eagerly toward Carmen, delighted with her new friend. Carmen hugged her close, murmuring to her in Spanish.

It was like it had been with Uncle Charlie, and before that with all the Cullens. Renesmee was irresistible. What was it about her that drew everyone to her, that made them willing even to pledge their lives in her defence?

For a moment I thought that maybe what we were attempting might be possible. Maybe Renesmee could do the impossible and win over our enemies as she had our friends.

And then I remembered that Alice had left us, and my hope vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Now that things had calmed considerably and Jacob had phased back and changed into some fresh clothes we went back into the house and gathered in the lounge. I apologised for the destruction of their car anyway and helped them carry it into the garage to leave in there for now. They didn't even seem to mind that I had singlehandedly written off their car and since the situation calmed down so did my eyes.

"What is the werewolves' part in this?" Tanya asked then, eyeing Jacob beside me and his hands on my waist and then Seth looming over Renesmee in Carmen's arms.

Jacob spoke before Edward could answer. "If the Volturi won't stop to listen about Nessie, I mean Renesmee," he corrected himself, remembering that Tanya would not understand the nickname, "we will stop them. Aria is my life, my family. That means the Cullens are my family too."

"Very brave, child, but that would be impossible for more experienced fighters than you are." Tanya commented, narrowing her eyes at him.

"You don't know what we can do." Jacob snapped back and I placed my hands over his and rubbed circles with my thumbs on the back of his hands.

Tanya shrugged. "It is your own life, certainly, to spend as you choose."

"Don't doubt them. You haven't seen them in action." I cut in, she had no right to judge.

"Alright. Either way she is special, that little one," Tanya mused. "Hard to resist."

"A very talented family, all of your coven," Eleazar murmured as he paced. His speed was increasing; he flashed from the door to Carmen and back again every second. "A mind reader for a father, a shield for a mother, a shield and mind reader for a cousin and then the same magic this extraordinary child has bewitched us with. I wonder if thought projection is the correct name for what they do, or if it is the norm for a vampire hybrid seeing as Aria can do the very same thing. As if such a thing could ever be considered normal! Vampire hybrids, indeed!"

My mouth fell open as Bella's eyes met mine in shock. Shields?

"Excuse me," Edward said in a stunned voice. He reached out and caught Eleazar's shoulder as he was about to turn again for the door. "What did you just call my wife and sister?"

Eleazar looked at Edward curiously, his manic pacing forgotten for the moment. "Shields, I think. They're blocking me now, so I can't be sure."

My barrier? There was an actual name for it. I could see in Edward's mind he knew what shields were so why hadn't he mentioned it to us before.

"Shields?" Edward repeated, bewildered.

"Come now, Edward! If I can't get a read on them, I doubt you can, either. Can you hear their thoughts right now?" Eleazar asked.

"No," Edward murmured. "But I've never been able to do that with Bella. Even when she was human. And as a full human I could barely hear Aria, it would be like an on and off switch."

"Never with Bella?" Eleazar blinked. "Interesting. That would indicate a rather powerful latent talent, if it was manifesting so clearly even before the transformation. Almost likewise with Aria as well. I can't feel a way through their shields to get a sense of them at all." The look he gave Edward now was almost tiring.

"I'm different to Bella, I can turn mine on and off." I said, still bewildered by the idea of actually giving my barrier a name. "When I had my barrier - sorry shield - up I guess, I couldn't read anyone's mind, but when I had it down I could hear everyone. Only now I've just come to learn how to keep the shield in place and read minds through it if I want to."

Bella frowned. "What are you talking about? How can I be a shield? What does that even mean?"

Eleazar leaned his head to one side as he examined Bella. "I suppose we were overly formal about it in the guard. In truth, categorising talents is a subjective, haphazard business; every talent is unique, never exactly the same thing twice. But you, Bella, are fairly easy to classify, likewise with Aria. Talents that are purely defensive, that protect some aspect of the bearer, are always called shields. Have you ever tested your abilities? Blocked anyone besides myself and Edward?"

"It only works with certain things," Bella told him nervously. "Our heads are sort of... private. But it doesn't stop Jasper from being able to mess with our mood or Alice from seeing our futures." She continued, explaining for both of us.

"Purely a mental defence." Eleazar nodded to himself. "Limited, but strong."

"Aro couldn't hear them," Edward interjected. "Though Bella was human when they met."

Eleazar's eyes widened.

"Jane tried to hurt us, but she couldn't," I said. "Edward thinks Demetri can't find us, and that Alec can't bother us, either. Is that good?"

Eleazar, still gaping, nodded. "Quite."

"Sheilds!" Edward said, deep satisfaction saturating his tone. "I never thought of it that way. The only one I've ever met before was Renata, and what she did was so different."

Eleazar had recovered slightly. "Yes, no talent ever manifests in precisely the same way, because no one ever thinks in exactly the same way. The similarities between the two girls must be because they are related, though it seems Aria's mind reading has intertwined itself with the shield."

"Who's Renata? What does she do?" I asked, another shield inside the Volturi put me on edge. I could see Bella wanted to know the answer as well and Renesmee was interested, too, leaning away from Carmen so that she could see around Kate.

"Renata is Aro's personal bodyguard," Eleazar told us. "A very practical kind of shield, and a very strong one. I wonder..." Eleazar mused. "You see, Renata is a powerful shield against a physical attack. If someone approaches her - or Aro, as she is always close beside him in a hostile situation - they find themselves... diverted.

"There's a force around her that repels, though it's almost unnoticeable. You simply find yourself going a different direction than you planned, with a confused memory as to why you wanted to go that other way in the first place. She can project her shield several meters out from herself. She also protects Caius and Marcus, too, when they have a need, but Aro is her priority.

"What she does isn't actually physical, though. Like the vast majority of our gifts, it takes place inside the mind. If she tried to keep you back, I wonder who would win?" He shook his head. "I've never heard of Aro's or Jane's gifts being thwarted."

"Momma, Auntie, you're special," Renesmee said without any surprise.

"Can either of you project?" Kate asked interestingly.

"Project?" Bella asked.

"Push it out from yourself," Kate explained. "Shield someone besides yourself."

"I don't know, I've never tried to do that." I answered honestly knowing I would've been the only one capable of doing such a thing, Bella didn't even know our weirdness had a name eighty seconds ago.

"Oh, you might not be able to," Kate said quickly. "Heavens knows I've been working on it for centuries and the best I can do is run a current over my skin."

We stared at her, mystified.

"Kate's got an offensive skill," Edward said. "Sort of like Jane. I've been lucky enough to witness it for myself." Edward grinned awkwardly and Kate grimaced.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "I'm not sadistic about it," she assured Bella when she noticed her discomfort. "It's just something that comes in handy during a fight."

Kate and Edward's words got me thinking. If I was immune to Jane's offensive skill I was surely immune to Alec's, likewise with Bella. If we could expand and project everyone in our family, and if it came to a fight, we might actually have a chance against the Volturi. Not one of their mental based gifts would work on us.

"You have to teach us what to do!" Bella insisted, unthinkingly grabbing Kate's arm. "You have to show us how!"

Kate winced at Bella's newborn grip. "Maybe - if you stop trying to crush my radius."

"Oops! Sorry!" She exclaimed and retracted her hand.

"You're shielding, all right," Kate said. "That move should have about shocked your arm off. You didn't feel anything just now?"

I smirked knowing that Bella and I could be the key to us winning this.

"That wasn't really necessary, Kate. She didn't mean any harm," Edward muttered under his breath. No one paid any attention to him.

"No, I didn't feel anything. Were you doing your electric current thing?" Bella's asked curiously yet excitedly.

"I was. Hmm. I've never met anyone who couldn't feel it, immortal or otherwise, you two would surely be helpful." Kate pointed out.

"You said you project it? On your skin?" I asked, wanting to get training already.

Kate nodded. "It used to be just in my palms. Kind of like Aro."

"Or Renesmee," Edward interjected.

"But after a lot of practice, I can radiate the current all over my body. It's a good defence. Anyone who tries to touch me drops like a human that's been tasered. It only downs them for a second, but that's long enough." She explained her skill with pride.

It felt like I had never wanted anything so badly before this; to be able to protect what I loved. To protect Jake, to protect Renesmee, Esme, Edward, Carlisle... it was overwhelmingly beautiful.

I was so lost inside my own internal excitement, I didn't notice the silent conversation between Edward and Eleazar until it suddenly became public knowledge. "Can you think of even one exception, though?" Edward asked.

I looked over to make sense of his comment and realised that everyone else was already staring at the two men. They were leaning toward each other intently, Edward's expression tight with suspicion, Eleazar's unhappy and reluctant.

"I don't want to think of them that way," Eleazar said through his teeth. I was surprised at the sudden change in the atmosphere. "If you're right—," Eleazar began again.

Edward cut him off. "The thought was yours, not mine."

"If I'm right... I can't even grasp what that would mean. It would change everything about the world we've created. It would change the meaning of my life. What I have been a part of." Eleazar said.

"Your intentions were always the best, Eleazar." Edward consoled.

"Would that even matter? What have I done? How many lives..."

Tanya put her hand on Eleazar's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "What did we miss, my friend? I want to know so that I can argue with these thoughts. You've never done anything worth castigating yourself this way."

"Oh, haven't I?" Eleazar muttered. Then he shrugged out from under her hand and began his pacing again, faster even than before.

Tanya watched him for half a second and then focused on Edward. "Explain."

Edward nodded, his tense eyes following Eleazar as he spoke. "He was trying to understand why so many of the Volturi would come to punish us. It's not the way they do things. Certainly, we are the biggest mature coven they've dealt with, but in the past other covens have joined to protect themselves, and they never presented much of a challenge despite their numbers. We are more closely bonded, and that's a factor, but not a huge one.

"He was remembering other times that covens have been punished, for one thing or the other, and a pattern occurred to him. It was a pattern that the rest of the guard would never have noticed, since Eleazar was the one passing the pertinent intelligence privately to Aro. A pattern that only repeated every other century or so."

"What was this pattern?" Carmen asked, watching Eleazar as Edward was.

"Aro does not often personally attend a punishing expedition," Edward said. "But in the past, when Aro wanted something in particular, it was never long before evidence turned up proving that this coven or that coven had committed some unpardonable crime. The ancients would decide to go along to watch the guard administer justice. And then, once the coven was all but destroyed, Aro would grant a pardon to one member whose thoughts, he would claim, were particularly repentant. Always, it would turn out that this vampire had the gift Aro had admired. Always, this person was given a place with the guard. The gifted vampire was won over quickly, always so grateful for the honour. There were no exceptions."

"It must be a heady thing to be chosen," Kate suggested.

"Ha!" Eleazar snarled, still in motion.

"There is one among the guard," Edward said, explaining Eleazar's angry reaction. "Her name is Chelsea. She has influence over the emotional ties between people. She can both loosen and secure these ties. She could make someone feel bonded to the Volturi, to want to belong, to want to please them..."

Eleazar came to an abrupt halt. "We all understood why Chelsea was important. In a fight, if we could separate allegiances between allied covens, we could defeat them that much more easily. If we could distance the innocent members of a coven emotionally from the guilty, justice could be done without unnecessary brutality - the guilty could be punished without interference, and the innocent could be spared. Otherwise, it was impossible to keep the coven from fighting as a whole. So Chelsea would break the ties that bound them together. It seemed a great kindness to me, evidence of Aro's mercy. I did suspect that Chelsea kept our own band more tightly knit, but that, too, was a good thing. It made us more effective. It helped us coexist more easily."

The veil that had been covering the Volturi had suddenly been lifted. The god-like devotion was a fast, they believed they were following Aro because they wanted to but in fact they were being manipulated. Maybe if there was a way to isolate Chelsea they would all realise their mistakes.

"How strong is her gift?" Tanya asked with an edge to her voice. Her gaze quickly touched on each member of her family.

Eleazar shrugged. "I was able to leave with Carmen." And then he shook his head. "But anything weaker than the bond between partners is in danger. In a normal coven, at least. Those are weaker bonds than those in our family, though. Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilised - lets us form true bonds of love. I doubt she could turn our allegiances, Tanya."

Tanya nodded, seeming reassured, while Eleazar continued with his analysis.

"I could only think that the reason Aro had decided to come himself, to bring so many with him, is because his goal is not punishment but acquisition," Eleazar said. "He needs to be there to control the situation. But he needs the entire guard for protection from such a large, gifted coven. On the other hand, that leaves the other ancients unprotected in Volterra. Too risky - someone might try to take advantage. So they all come together. How else could he be sure to preserve the gifts that he wants? He must want them very badly," Eleazar mused.

Edward's voice was low as a breath. "From what I saw of his thoughts last spring, Aro's never wanted anything more than he wants Alice, Aria is a close second despite what she is and then Bella follows after."

"Is that why Alice left?" Bella asked, her voice breaking on her name.

Edward put his hand against her cheek. "I think it must be. To keep Aro from gaining the thing he wants most of all. To keep her power out of his hands."

I heard Tanya and Kate murmuring in disturbed voices and remembered that they hadn't known about Alice.

"He wants you, too," I whispered.

Edward shrugged, his face suddenly a little too composed. "Not nearly as much. I can't really give him anything more than he already has. And of course that's dependent on his finding a way to force me to do his will. He knows me, and he knows how unlikely that is." He raised one eyebrow sardonically.

Eleazar frowned at Edward's nonchalance. "He also knows your weaknesses," Eleazar pointed out, and then he looked at Bella.

"It's nothing we need to discuss now," Edward said quickly.

Eleazar ignored the hint and continued. "He must have been intrigued by a talent that could defy him, especially if they were almost two of a kind. He'd have double the power, could use them in different places."

I knew from the way Aro spoke and looked at me I knew he was intrigued. Despite what I was I had a talent and if he found out about my everlasting immense speed and strength he'd never stop seeing me as an asset.

Edward changed the subject. "I think the Volturi were waiting for this - for some pretext. They couldn't know what form their excuse would come in, but the plan was already in place for when it did come. That's why Alice saw their decision before Irina triggered it. The decision was already made, just waiting for the pretence of a justification."

"If the Volturi are abusing the trust all immortals have placed in them..." Carmen murmured.

"Does it matter?" Eleazar asked. "Who would believe it? And even if others could be convinced that the Volturi are exploiting their power, how would it make any difference? No one can stand against them."

"Though some of us are apparently insane enough to try," Kate muttered.

Edward shook his head. "You're only here to witness, Kate. Whatever Aro's goal, I don't think he's ready to tarnish the Volturi's reputation for it. If we can take away his argument against us, he'll be forced to leave us in peace."

"Of course," Tanya murmured.

No one looked convinced. For a few long minutes, nobody said anything.

Then I heard the sound of tyres turning off the highway pavement onto the Cullens' dirt drive.

"Oh crap, Charlie," Bella muttered. "Maybe the Denalis could hang out upstairs until—"

"No," I said, hearing the own distance in my voice as I listened to the newcomers. "It's not Uncle Charlie." I didn't recognise their voices but I faintly remembered their faces from memories that blurred through Jasper and Alice's minds long ago. "Alice sent Peter and Charlotte, after all. Time to get ready for the next round."