XXXIV. The resemblance.

I was standing on the back porch of the main house with Edward, watching as Delia played with Jacob and Quill. Both wolves made their best attempts to lift the little girl's mood as she was visibly anxious about everything happening around her.

I watched Edward silently out of the corner of my eye for a second before sighing and turning to him. "I need to ask you a favor," I muttered softly.

Edward leaned with his forearms against the railing of the porch, his head turning and his eyes landing on me. "What is it?" he asked softly as he raised his eyebrows.

"Will you teach me how to fight?" I asked softly as I moved closer to him, standing shoulder to shoulder as I wrapped my hands around the railing of the porch.

"If it comes to a fight, there won't be much any of us can do," Edward replied softly as he looked down at me with a soft look, slowly shaking his head.

"Would you leave me unable to defend myself?" I questioned as I raised my eyebrows, tilting my head to the side.

Edward stared at me, sighing softly as he pursed his lips. "When you put it that way... I suppose we should get to that as soon as we can." he agreed softly as he nodded his head.

I nodded in agreement before my gaze silently turned towards the three playing on the grass, chasing each other. "What would you say their biggest advantage is? Do they even have a weakness? The Volturi?" I asked curiously.

"Alec and Jane are their greatest offense," Edward replied as he watched Delia playing with Jacob and Quill. "Their defensive players rarely see any real action," he added as he shook his head.

"Because Jane can burn you where you stand, mentally at least," I concluded and Edward nodded in confirmation. "What does Alec do? Didn't you once say he was even more dangerous than Jane?" I questioned as I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yes. In a way, he is the antidote to Jane." Edward replied as he slowly nodded his head once again, his eyes remaining on his daughter. "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 anesthetize someone before he is executed. If he has surrendered or pleased them in some other way." he explained.

"Anesthetic? But how is that more dangerous than Jane?" I questioned as I shook my head in confusion.

"Because he cuts off your senses altogether. No pain, but also no sight, or sound, or smell. Total sensory deprivation." he explained and my eyes ever so slightly widened in realization. You'd never even see death coming. "You are utterly alone in the blackness. You don't even feel it when they burn you." he voiced the dark thoughts in my head. "That would make him only equally as dangerous as Jane, 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. Aro hears the mind of only one person at a time. Jane can only hurt the one object of her focus. I can hear everyone at the same time."

"And Alec can incapacitate us all at the same time?" I questioned as I raised my eyebrows, feeling horrified at that thought.

"Yes," Edward confirmed as he nodded his head. "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," he explained before lowering his gaze for a moment as he continued. "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."

I looked off to the side, lightly scratching at my bottom lip as I thought for a moment. If Edward compared Alec to Jane or himself, that meant Alec's powers were all in the mind as well. Which meant he wouldn't be able to get to me, but just maybe I could get to him.

I looked back at my husband with newfound determination in my eyes. "Do you think Alec is a very good fighter?" I questioned as I raised my eyebrows. "Aside from what he can do, I mean. If he had to fight without his gift. I wonder if he's ever even tried..."

"What are you thinking?" Edward questioned, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he tried to get a clear read of my feelings. He didn't like the determination I was feeling.

"Well, he probably can't do that to me, can he?" I asked as my head tilted to the side, shrugging my shoulders. "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-"

"He's been with the Volturi for centuries," Edward argued as he shook his head, cutting off my determined rant. "Yes, you're surely immune to his power, but you are still a newborn, Ana." he reminded me. "I can't make you a strong enough of a fighter in a few weeks. I'm sure he's had training." he reasoned with me.

"Maybe, maybe not," I replied as I shrugged my shoulders again. "It's the one thing I can do that no one else can. Even if I can just distract him for a while. Could I last long enough to give the others a chance?" I questioned.

Edward scowled, his nose scrunching up as his brows furrowed deeply. "Please, Ana," he argued as he shook his head. "Let's not talk about this." he pleaded softly.

"Be reasonable," I demanded as I stared back at Edward, a frown tugging at my lips.

"I will try to teach you what I can, but please don't make me think about you sacrificing yourself as a diversion." He pleaded softly as he slowly shook his head at me before leaning forward, resting his forehead against mine. "Please," he whispered.

I closed my eyes, immediately feeling bad when I felt the sorrow in his chest. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

The next morning came and I was an anxious mess as we waited in the living room for the Denali clan to arrive. Jacob and Quill were there as well, just for extra protection if it had to come to that. We were all hopeful it wouldn't.

"They're here," Edward spoke up, and a second later, I heard a car approaching from the distance. I stood up from the couch and immediately Delia moved to my side, wrapping her arms around my waist, clinging tightly to me. "You wait inside," Edward instructed and I nodded.

As Edward walked out of the living room and went outside to meet the Denali clan, Delia looked up at me with wide eyes. "What if they don't like me?" she asked softly.

"They'll love you," Quill assured as he reached out and ruffled Delia's dark hair that was tied in a pony.

"They will." I agreed as I nodded my head before crouching down in front of Delia. "Once they understand you. They just haven't met anyone like you before." I explained softly as I placed my hands on her shoulders, giving a light squeeze.

"Hello, Tanya. Kate, Eleazar, Carmen." Edward greeted the Denali clan outside and I sighed softly, holding my daughter close as I listened in.

"Carlisle said he needed to talk to us right away," Tanya said, her voice sounding concerned. "What's the problem? Trouble with the werewolves?" she questioned curiously and Jacob scoffed from beside me.

"No," Edward replied as he shook his head. "Our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever," he assured them, and Jacob rolled his eyes, earning himself a pointed side-eyed glare.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" Tanya questioned, her voice laced with confusion and curiosity. "Where's Carlisle?" she asked before Edward had time to answer her first question.

"Carlisle had to leave," Edward explained as he folded his hands together in front of himself.

"What's going on, Edward?" Tanya asked as her voice grew with even more concern.

"If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes," Edward pleaded with the Denali clan." I have something difficult to explain, and I'll need you to be open-minded until you understand," he explained. "Can you do that?"

"Of course," Tanya assured and everyone else agreed as well.

I sighed softly, squeezing my eyes shut before looking down at my daughter. "Okay. Time to meet some new people." I told her as I took her hand in mine and led her out of the living room with Jacob and Quill following close behind me.

We stepped outside and approached Edward and the Denali clan at a car in the driveway. I halted sharply with my daughter when all four of the Denali clan took defensive positions. "The Volturi will come for all of us." Kate screeched when she saw Delia.

"You get that thing out of here," Tanya demanded as she pointed at Delia with wide eyes.

"She's not what she looks like." Edward defended the little girl as he held his hands up in defense.

"This is a crime!" Kate yelled as she took a step forward and Edward immediately grabbed her arm to stop her. Kate glared at Edward, putting her hand on his arm as she stared into his eyes.

My eyes widened as Edward cried out, sinking to his knees as electricity surged through his body. I remembered before my wedding. Carlisle told me about the Denali clan and I knew Kate's power, although electricity, it was a purely mental power.

I pushed Delia into Quill and Jacob's arms before surging forward. I grabbed onto Kate, prying her hand off Edward and shoving her back hard. She skidded backward through the ice, nearly hitting the car behind her. "Stay back!" I warned.

"She has blood in her veins. You can feel her warmth." Edward insisted, grimacing in pain as he slowly stood up onto his feet. "I'm her biological father. Ana is her mother," he told the Denali clan.

"Impossible," Kate mumbled as her eyes narrowed.

"It's true." I insisted firmly.

"She was conceived, carried, and born while Ana was still human," Edward informed them as he nodded his head.

Eleazar looked around me, staring at Delia with his eyebrows furrowed deeply, with a soft huff, he looked back at me and Edward. "I've never heard of such a thing," he replied as he shook his head.

"Physical relationships between vampires and humans are not that common," Edward replied as he pursed his lips tightly. "Human survivors of such trysts are even less common. Wouldn't you agree, cousins?" he questioned as he shot a sharp look at Kate and Tanya.

"Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance." Carmen spoke up as she smiled softly at Delia. She kneeled down and motioned for Delia to come closer. I looked back at my little girl and she gave me a hesitant look. I nodded my head in assurance, holding out my hand. Delia nodded back at me before running closer. "You seem to have your mother's eyes but your father's face," Carmen said softly as she continued to smile at the little five-year-old.

"Do you mind if Delia tells you about it herself?" I asked Carmen softly as she seemed to be the more receptive one of the four. "She has a gift for explaining things," I explained.

Carmen nodded in agreement before looking at Delia with a warm look in her brown eyes. "Do you speak, little one?" she asked softly as she raised her eyebrows.

"Yes," Delia confirmed softly as she stepped closer to Carmen. "But I can show you more than I can tell you," she explained as she carefully reached out and placed her little hand on Carmen's cheek.

Everyone watched with bated breath as Carmen's eyes widened, placing her hand over Delia's. After a moment, Carmen's eyes widened, and she looked up at me and Edward. "She really is your daughter, isn't she?" she asked softly and I nodded. "Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a very gifted father."

"Do you believe what she showed you?" Edward asked Carmen softly.

"Without a doubt," Carmen confirmed as she nodded her head, ruffling Delia's pony and pinching her cheek lightly before standing up. She looked at her husband and motioned for her husband to let Delia show him as well.

Eleazar, Tanya, and Kate all three took their turns, allowing Delia to show them the memories of her birth, of when she was just a baby and then a toddler. She showed them how she had grown up, and by the time she was done, all four believed us that Delia wasn't an immortal child.

---

Only 8 more chapters left and then Ana's story comes to a final end.

Just wrote the epilogue and I am NOT okay...