Alice let go of Aro's hand with a simple jerk. Emily looked at him curiously, wondering what the seer could possibly have shown him. Aro looked around as if in disbelief as to what he was seeing. His expression looked as though he had seen a ghost. Several ghosts. Emily's eyes narrowed at Alice.

"There. Now you know. That's your future." Alice said. "Unless you decide on another course."

"We cannot alter our course. The child still poses a grave threat." Caius interjected lowly. Clearly Aro had been shaken by what he had seen, and Caius wasn't about to let it deter them. They had a mission to accomplish.

"But what if you were sure she could remain concealed from the human world? Could we leave in peace?" Edward asked.

"Of course, but that cannot be known!"

"Actually it can."

In the distance, two figures emerged behind the Cullens from the trees. A man and a woman in clothing Emily recognized as Amazonian. Alice smiled at Edward as they approached, a silent exchange only they could hear. The man and the woman approached and Alice turned back to face the bemused Volturi.

"I've been searching for witnesses of my own, among the Ticuna tribes of Brazil." She announced.

"We have enough witnesses." Caius snapped.

"Let them speak, brother." Aro shot back, silencing Caius. The male newcomer took a step forward.

"I am half human, half vampire. Like the child. A vampire seduced my mother who died giving birth to me. My aunt Huilen raised me as her own. I made her immortal." The man said, gesturing to red-eyed woman next to him.

"How old are you?" Bella asked apprehensively.

"A hundred and fifty years."

Bella seemed to sigh in relief. Clearly her daughter's aging process had been concerning her with the child's exponential growth.

"At what age did you reach maturity?" Aro began asking questions.

"I became full grown seven years after my birth. I have not changed since then."

"And your diet?"

"Blood. Human food. I can survive on either."

"These children are much like us." Marcus said quietly, the first time he had spoken up the entire time. Both Caius and Emily could sense the shift in tone and scrambled to redirect.

"The child may not be an evident threat, but the Cullens have been in cahoots with werewolves. Isn't that one of our rules?" Emily asked. Aro turned back to look at her and Caius with a pondering expression. The pair stood rigid next to each other, the same peeved expression on their faces. He gently touched Emily's shoulder with a subtle shake of his head, telling both of them to stand down. Emily huffed as Caius' nostrils flared.

"Dear ones. There is no danger here. We will not fight... today." Aro addressed the entire gathered coven. Emily growled in the back of her throat, starring daggers at the Cullens before turning on her heel and starting to stalk away with an equally infuriated Caius right next to her. The twins followed behind them with their heads held high. Clearly Jane wasn't fully happy with the decision either, but she had the sense to keep her emotions in check.

Emily started spitting swears and insults in her mind, on the other hand.

Even as they re-boarded the jet to take them home, Emily was pissed. She didn't look Aro in the eye as she passed him to find her seat. He knew she was pissed, her and Caius both. Emily was already running through ways he could make it up to them. The list was long.

Emily sat down in her seat with a huff, her arms folded and otherwise completely closed off. Caius sat next to her and she could feel the anger rolling off of him as well. He just did a better job of hiding it. He reached over to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear before resting his thin fingers under her chin so she would look him in the eye. Emily sighed and leaned into the touch.

"Jorrāeliarza..." Caius started before pursing his lips. He glanced at Aro and sighed. What was the point of him not understanding what they were saying, he knew they were pissed. "What did she show him that could possibly--"

"Death. All of our deaths. Aro will drop anything to save his own ass." Emily replied. "But surely if Alice showed him one way things could have gone, we could have proceeded and... not made those mistakes?"

She knew Aro heard her. He continued to pretend like he didn't.

"I don't know. I think he knows he's in for an earful once we return. But I promise I'll find a way to make it up to you."

"It's not your job to amend this for me. I'm moreso angry for you, this was your feud that you were robbed of finishing. Today in particular it seems like the Cullens tried to slight you specifically."

"I'll be having words with my brother on our behalf, be assured of that. But I know you're upset as well. Anything you desire, you shall have it." Caius stroked Emily's cheek with his fingers gently. She focused on the touch for a moment, thinking.

"Two weeks alone with you. Duties be damned, I just want two weeks for us to do whatever we want away from everyone else." Emily said. Caius raised an eyebrow at the request. "Once we say our peace, we're locking ourselves in your chambers with enough blood to last us and we won't come out for any reason. No trials, no hunts, nothing."

"I can think of nothing better." Caius replied with a smile. He gently kissed her before leaning back in his seat. Emily smiled in return before curling into her seat, resting her head against the window. She didn't need rest, but she closed her eyes anyways to just let silence and darkness ease her senses for a bit.

Emily felt a harsh few pokes to her shoulder. At first she didn't move, but the pokes turned into small shoves.

"I'm not in the mood, Jane. If you're gonna bother someone, bother--"

"Last I checked, my name sure as shit ain't Jane, Devil's Bride."

...What the fuck??

Emily knew that voice. She knew who gave her that nickname. Her eyes flew wide open, certain she was hearing things.

She was on a windowsill against a large window looking out at a yard covered in inky black vines. The world outside was dark, everything looked like it had been bathed in deep blue in the absence of sunlight. Small white particles floated around outside like snow. A crash of thunder echoed from outside, the sky flickering in a bright red color before settling back on blue.

Emily shrieked, stumbling off of the windowsill right into Eddie Munson. He let her fall to the floor, confused at her reaction.

"Jesus Christ, Em, you look like you've seen a ghost or something." Eddie said sarcastically. Emily didn't even hear him. She touched her face with her palms frantically, the ridges of her scars immediately standing out. Vines and roses of ink covered her left arm and she noticed the actual vines curling up her limbs, pulsating. Her wings weighed heavy on her back.

She could feel her heartbeat and became uncomfortably aware of her own panicked breathing.

"I'm... I'm alive." Emily said aloud before she realized what she was saying.

"I'd sure as hell hope so." Eddie sounded even more confused. "Em, are you okay? Panic is a new look on you."

"I-I-I... I don't-- I..." she spluttered.

"Creel, your girlfriend is on the fritz!" Eddie called. Emily hardly registered it, she was too focused on her surroundings. She brought her knees to her chest and started rocking back and forth on the floor, palms to her cheeks.

"Munson, what the hell did you do?" Emily's breath hitched hearing the new voice. New, yet achingly familiar. She twisted around to see Henry approaching her. Any and all words died on her tongue.

"Nothing! I just shook her awake from her bat nap or whatever and she started freaking the hell out!" Eddie defended as Henry knelt down next to Emily. She didn't meet his gaze. Henry pursed his lips, clearly seeing she was upset.

"Leave us alone for a bit, will you?" He said, not looking at Eddie, though clearly the words were directed at him.

"Fine, whatever. Not my girlfriend, not my problem." Eddie replied dismissively, walking away. Emily was still shaking, nearly having a full panic attack. Henry hadn't ever seen her like this before. Even back in the lab, her worst freak outs never looked like this.

"Emily... Emily, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Henry asked her gently. Emily said nothing, still breathing heavily. "Emily, look at me, please."

Nervously, Emily complied. She was met with Henry's azure gaze, clearly concerned over her. Everything seemed to grow still the longer she looked into his eyes. Emily's lips bobbed, yet no sound came out.

"What happened?" She finally whispered. Henry seemed taken aback.

"You tell me. You told me you wanted to take a nap against the window, next thing I know you're having a full panic attack. Did you have a nightmare or something?"

Emily's brain was struggling to make sense of what was happening. There was no way. She was on a jet five minutes ago, she was on her way back home. The Cullens, the field, Jane... Caius. The past two decades... it was all so vivid, so real. But...

"Italy... did we go to Italy?" She asked, completely dazed.

"Not that I'm aware of." Henry let out a small laugh, fully sitting next to Emily and pulling her into his embrace. He cradled her, rocking her back and forth while running his fingers through her hair. Emily let herself relax, her face pressed to his chest leaving small wet tear stains. "You must have had a bad dream, it's okay. We're all a little on edge."

"It wasn't a bad dream, though..." Emily whispered. Henry didn't smell anything like Caius, no vanilla, no smoke. Feeling Henry hold her, him being so tangible... she felt bad for longing for that smell. Longing for Caius, to be back in his arms. Two weeks... they were supposed to have two weeks... More tears fell. "Ñuha jorrāeliarza..."

"What?"

"Hmm?"

"You just started speaking gibberish all of a sudden. Emily, are you sure you're okay?" Henry cupped Emily's face so she would look at him. Her lower lip quivered, registering the pure concern on Henry's face. Emily was back in the arms of her first love after what had seemed like decades. Decades that... hadn't ever passed in the first place. The memories she made, the family she had forged, the sisters and brothers she had always longed for... the husband she loved...

None of it was real, was it?

"Emily?"

She put on a smile and went back for Henry's embrace. She had missed it, truly, the first comfort she had known as an adolescent, the first person she'd ever loved and who'd loved her.

Yet...

"I'm alright, Henry. Just a bit shaken. I'm okay, though." Emily said.

She wasn't.