"Now we add the chips right?" Nessie asked for the 100th time in the past 5 minutes.

"Nes, the chocolate is for after we mixed the ingredients together," Aria explained calmly again.

Shortly after Aria had moved in she took Renesmee under her wing teaching her how to cook and bake. They stood at the marble island in Esme's kitchen, a worn out cookbook, that was passed down to Aria after her grandmothers passing, sat between the girls, their aprons had flour handprints on them. Renesmee had somehow managed to get cocoa powder into her brown hair, how she managed that Aria didn't know, especially since they weren't using cocoa powder.

"Can I mix it now?"

"Not yet, we need the wet ingredients to make the dough."

Aria grabbed the eggs from the fridge and the vanilla extract from the cupboard. She poured out the extract into the teaspoon as Nessie added the eggs. Aria added the softened butter into the mixture before giving Nessie the green light to mix. As her cousin mixed the cookie dough Ari's mind wandered to the burgundy eyed boy that had barely uttered a word to her since his arrival, the one and only Alec Volturi.

"Earth to Aria!" Nessie exclaimed with a quick snap of her fingers in front of her cousins face.

Aria blinked and looked up at her now 5'4 companion. Just last week they were able to look each other in the eye but now her little cousin wasn't so little anymore.

"Hmm?" Aria replied.

"Now the chocolate chips right?"

"Yeah two cups of them."

Before dumping the bag into the dough, Nessie quickly threw a few of the chocolate morsels into her mouth smiling and wiggling in place as the rest fell into the bowl.

"So," Nessie inquired as she stirred in the chips, "how's everything going with Alec?"

Aria sighed, "I don't know."

It was the truth, the belle of Houston had no idea what to tell her family member. From her understanding, mates were supposed to be a big deal to vampires, but Alec seemed indifferent to the whole situation. If he acknowledged her it normally fell along the lines of rude or completely offensive comments that lead to her wanting to slap the body glitter off of him. She had tried to be civil to him at first but after awhile she had given up, all he ever did was meet her with hostility. When he wouldn't talk to her all he did was stare at her. Aria had given up, she wasn't looking for a boyfriend, not after Houston, she wanted a friend he could've at least been that to her.

"Hey Nessie," Ari said as she tightened her ponytail, "does it ever seem like Jacob hates you when you hang out together?"

"No," Ness said slowly ceasing to fold in the chips giving her family member her undivided attention, "has Alec done something to you?"

"Besides be rude, no."

Nessie bite her lip before speaking, "I heard that him and Jane have a hard time letting people in, maybe that's his defense mechanism?"

"What if it isn't? What if he does hate me? What if he thinks I'm just a talking blood bag that should've been killed the day we met?"

Tears had begun to form in her brown eyes, clouding her vision. She was so used to people liking her, the thought of someone, especially her mate, not thinking highly of her was eating her alive. Did she say something that offended him? Was it that he saw her as only a source to quench his thirst? Was it too late to apologize for something she did? She felt two warm slender arms wrap around her pulling her into a tight embrace. The tears rolled down her face staining Nessie's plum colored shirt.

"I mean I don't even know why he hates me," Aria croaked between sobs, "I should at least know why!"

Nessie held onto her cousin as she cried out her frustrations. The hybrid never liked seeing her family members upset or angry. Though she only knew Aria for a short time she knew the human to only be kind and wishing well to others. She was the kind of person that would give her coat to someone on the street and offer them a warm place to stay for the night. Aria told Nessie about all of her encounters with Alec and how he treated and acted around her. Seeing the kindest person she knew cry over the rudeness of someone who wasn't even worth the time Aria had tried to spend with him drove her to madness.

Nessie had an idea, "Ari, go get some air I'll be right back."

Aria nodded wiping her eyes as she headed to the patio out back. Nessie waited until the sliding door closed before rushing into the guest bedroom that Alec was using, practically breaking the door into the wall startling the Volturi guard in the room. Her eyes narrowed onto Alec who sat in a plush chair, his sketchbook in his hands. She crossed the distant between them in a flash smacking the sketch pad out of his hands. He was on his feet in a second ready for a fight. He towered over her a good six inches but that didn't matter to Renesmee, what mattered was Aria at that moment.

"Why you little-" he started only to be cut off with a hard slap across his face.

"-that is for making Aria cry," Nessie growled.

Alec stared at the hybrid, "I have done no such thing."

Nessie's eyebrows shot up a humorless laugh escaping past her lips, "Really?!?!?"

Before Alec could muster up another word, Renesmee had her hands on his face showing him everything that had just occurred with his mate. She pulled away after a moment taking a step back.

Alec looked at the hybrid. Flashes of his mates crying face, the pain in her voice, it was all because of him. In the month that he and his companions had been here he had been nothing but rude to her. She didn't deserve that. Since, he was being honest he didn't know anything about her, just as much as she did about him. If someone was to ask him what her favorite color was, he wouldn't know.

Alec looked down at his hands ashamed of himself.

"Where is she?" He asked quietly.

"On the patio," Nessie said, "I suggest you apologize."

Alec nodded and made his way to the door. He stopped looking back at the youngest Cullen, "what do I say to her?"

"Anything but I suggest a Hello first."

Another nod and he walked through the house to the back door.

There she sat on the steps overlooking the trees on the edge of the property. The wind was making her hair move ever so slightly, a black cloth was folded next to her on the deck. Her back was to him, unaware that he was watching her. Alec took an unneeded breath before exiting the house and sat down beside her. He looked at her through his peripherals. Her eyes were puffy and her now pale nose still slightly red. Another wave of guilt crashed over him.

"It's windy today," Alec said mentally slapping himself.

Aria shrugged not really wanting to converse with him. It would only lead to another harsh moment between the two.

"I'm sorry."

The humans head snapped towards the immortal. He had her attention now. Alec looked down at his pale hands.

"I'm sorry for my behavior towards you, it was uncalled for."

"Why are ya apologizin'?"

Alec smirked, "I've recently had some sense knocked into me." His burgundy eyes trailed up to her face, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have-"

"-I accept your apology," Aria blurted. She was never too keen on holding a grudge.

"If I am in your good graces, I would like to start over," the immortal asked hopefully.

Aria stuck out her hand, "Hi, I'm Aria."

Alec smiled accepting her outstretched hand, "Hello I am Alexander, but you can call me Alec."

Once their hands touched it felt like electricity passed between them. Aria took note of how her small tan hand was a perfect fit in his. Alec smiled knowing this was the what all mates felt when they touched. After all this time, he had found his piece of heaven, that was if she would accept the bond between them.

The pair was unaware that Renesmee watched them from the window as she waited for the cookies to bake. She smiled as she watched Aria's face light up as her and Alec held a civil conversation. She could see why Alice played match maker sometimes, it was fun.