CHAPTER THREE
(witnesses)

Vivienne's voice rose in alarm as she asked, "What do you mean they're after our family?" Her brother, Jasper, and sister, Mary Alice, had tracked her down at her temporary abode during the night while she fed on a criminal.

But locations changed and they were now safely hidden away from any prying eyes.

Alice took hold of her sister's hand as she carefully explained the unfolding situation through her visions. "The Volturi believe Renesmee is an immortal child," she revealed, her voice filled with concern and worry.

Vivienne's eyes widened in surprise as she repeated the term, "Immortal Child?" before swiftly pulling her hand back. For a moment, it seemed as though she doubted their words, but the siblings were reassured by her next statement. "What a baseless accusation," she said, her voice laced with a touch of bitterness. "What does Irina hope to gain from such a claim?" Her words were tinged with a hint of resentment as she watched her siblings exhale in relief.

Vivienne observed her siblings' reactions and, folding her arms across her chest, gently teased them. "Come now," she said with a knowing smile, "did you both truly doubt that I wouldn't believe anything you share with me?"

"No, no, of course not!" Alice hurriedly assured Vivienne, her words tumbling out. "It's just that the entire situation seemed implausible, and it would be understandable if it appeared as a fabrication."

Vivienne let out a weary sigh before addressing them, "I'm more bewildered that you two haven't inquired about why I've ceased all communication with the family."

"Vivi," Jasper chimed in, his gaze fixed on his sister. "We all wanted to know, but eventually, we realized that you must have had your reasons for doing so." He observed as Vivienne sighed and dropped her arms in resignation.

"The Volturi," Vivienne murmured, her tone laced with unease.

Alice looked at her sister in astonishment, prompting her to say, "What did you just say?"

"When I stopped communicating with the family, they captured me and held me captive," Vivienne revealed, her voice tinged with a hint of bitterness. "And when you all arrived in Volterra a few years ago, they relocated me to another location until you left the main premises." Reluctantly, she settled onto the couch, casually propping her legs up, while her siblings took a seat across from her on an identical couch.

"I managed to escape after dealing with a few of their newest members. That was two years ago," she related, turning to face the pair. "I assume you both left to look for more witnesses, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct," Alice nodded in agreement.

Vivienne let out a wry chuckle, adding, "And let's not forget that it was also to protect them, knowing Aro's desire to seize opportunities to collect treasures like us."

Vivienne seized the opportunity and waved her hand, creating a her toxic powers in her palm. She looked at her sister as she spoke, "Carlisle and Edward knew...and it took me years to fully grasp the truth of it. You came to me because you understood this." Alice paused for a moment before nodding in affirmation.

"You both knew it...yet why the wait?" she questioned, her eyes studying her siblings' expressions.

Jasper exchanged a glance with Alice before answering Vivienne's question. "We waited because we didn't want you to feel pressured to share until you were ready, but given the circumstances, we decided that the time had come," he explained, his voice laced with a mixture of empathy and understanding.

Vivienne fixed her gaze on her siblings and sighed, leaning back in her chair. "You realize how dangerous it was for both of you to search for me, right? If I become a witness, I'll end up in the same predicament as all the others," she stated with a hint of resignation.

"That's precisely why I searched for you, Vivi," Alice replied, determination in her voice.

Vivienne met her sister's gaze and let out another weary sigh. "You want me to protect them, don't you?" she asked, resignation in her voice.

Both Alice and Jasper remained silent, watching as Vivienne rose from her chair and moved to the window. After a moment of contemplation, she smirked and turned to face them. "Count me in," she declared, her voice tinged with readiness.

"What?" Alice and Jasper exclaimed simultaneously, rising from their seats.

Vivienne let out a snicker at their surprised reactions. "What? Did you think I would say no?" she teased. She then turned to Alice, "You should have seen this in your vision, right?"

Alice remained silent, her expression faltering, and Vivienne noticed the shift in her demeanor. She turned her body towards them, concern evident in her voice. "Alice? What are you not telling me?"

Alice hesitantly confessed, "I can no longer view your future," her voice trembling.

Complete silence engulfed the room as Vivienne slowly absorbed her sister's revelation. Alice's inability to see her future, coupled with that statement, often foreshadowed a perilous fate—one that could result in death.

"My future, huh?" Vivienne began, a smile beginning to form on her face, which puzzled her siblings. She continued, "Honestly, once I was in the hands of the Volturi, I started living each day as if it might be my last. Even after I escaped, I carried on with that mindset. And until the Volturi are overthrown, it seems that all of our lives remain at risk, and we can't rest until each of them has been dealt with."

Vivienne asserted, her smirk still firmly in place, "I'll still help, even if you can't see my future because they are my family, and I'd gladly die for them if I had to."

Her determination was unwavering, and her loyalty to her loved ones ran deep.

Alice couldn't help but feel a pang of pain at her sister's willingness to place her life on the line. She never desired to hear such words spoken, as they struck a nerve. Yet, Alice was acutely aware of her sister's strong-willed nature, and she realized that Vivienne was resolute in her decisions.

Alice knew, deep down, that her sister had the strength to shape her own destiny, and that Vivienne would defy the odds and somehow determine her own future, even in the absence of foresight.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that then," Jasper finally chimed in, his tone soothing as he attempted to calm Alice, who appeared on the verge of breaking down.

Vivienne chuckled and casually waved off the notion, replying, "Of course not. I mean, I would relish the opportunity to give the Volturi a good shake down, but that's not the main objective here. The primary aim is to prove our innocence."

Alice hastily enveloped Vivienne in a tight embrace, her voice filled with gratitude as she expressed, "Thank you, Vivienne."

She pulled back and informed her, "I'll be heading home soon. You two should go and search for more witnesses."

Vivienne bid farewell to her siblings, understanding the gravity of their brief reunion. The danger of lingering in one place for an extended period was evident, and she resigned herself to the fact that their time together would be short-lived.

After a painful period of 26 years apart, Vivienne was finally being reunited with her loved ones. Despite it not sounding like a substantial amount of time, the absence had been profoundly felt within the family.

...

The Cullens' grand estate was bursting at the seams with an abundance of guests, far exceeding any expectation of comfort. This arrangement miraculously worked out because none of the visitors required sleep. However, mealtimes proved to be a delicate situation, as everyone struggled to coexist peacefully.

The witnesses purposefully avoided hunting in the areas surrounding Forks and La Push, venturing instead to locations beyond the state's boundaries. Edward, ever the gracious host, willingly lent his cars, although this arrangement left Bella feeling uneasy. Despite her efforts to persuade herself otherwise, she couldn't shake the disquieting thought that they would be hunting in diverse locales throughout the world anyway.

Jacob's frustration was even greater. The werewolves were meant to prevent the loss of human life, and the sight of rampant killings being condoned just outside their territory was unbearable to him. Yet under these dire circumstances, with Renesmee facing acute danger, he bit his tongue and averted his gaze from the vampires. Instead, he sulked and fixated his glare upon the floor below.

Despite Jacob's hostile demeanor, the company showed an unexpected level of acceptance towards him. They treated him with the same detachment and courtesy one might exhibit toward the pets of a friend, even if they themselves held no affinity for animals.

Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry were assigned to run with Sam for the time being, and Jacob would have eagerly joined them, were it not for his inability to be apart from Renesmee. The young child was captivated by Carlisle's unusual assortment of companions.

Jasper and Alice left without any further explanation, sending their first witnesses, Peter and Charlotte, without providing any additional information. However, they trusted Alice's instructions implicitly, as it was a common reaction among those acquainted with her.

Bella longed to understand their destination, but she realized that Alice deliberately withheld that information due to the ominous potential. If Aro had the ability to glean knowledge through his tactile telepathy, any hint of their plans could spell disaster.

Not long after, Carlisle had extended invitations to friends from Ireland and Egypt, their presence adding to the eclectic mix of witnesses on hand.

Carlisle's first set of witnesses to arrive were the Irish Clan, and they proved just as easy to convince. Siobhan, a woman exuding an impressive presence, was the leader of the clan, and her mate who bore a stoic expression was named Liam.

They were accustomed to putting their trust in the judgement of their newest member, and the young woman, Little Maggie, with her lively red curls, happened to be one of the many gifted individuals in the company. Maggie had the uncanny ability to detect when someone was being untruthful.

Edward provided only a few words to Maggie about the truth, and that alone was enough to sway the Irish Clan to join the roster of witnesses.

Next came the unusual Egyptian clan. One look at Amun, the leader, made it abundantly clear that he was resistant to any discussion on the matter. He adamantly refused to allow Renesmee anywhere near him or his mate, Kebi.

The younger member of the clan, on the other hand, were a different story.

Benjamin was an oddly cheerful vampire who looked barely older than a boy and seemed both utterly confident and utterly careless at the same time—persuaded Amun to stay with a few subtle threats about disbanding their alliance.

Eleazar, who was mated to Carmen, the Cullens' cousins, possessed a remarkable ability of his own. He had the distinct talent to discern the type and strength of other gifted vampires. As he fixated his gaze on the young Egyptian vampire, he couldn't help but assume that Benjamin held the unique talent of drawing others to him.

Edward shared with Bella the insight revealed by Eleazar, explaining, "It's not that straightforward. Benjamin's gift is so extraordinary that it frightens Amun. You see, just like we had hoped to keep Renesmee's existence a secret from Aro, Amun has been safeguarding Benjamin from Aro's awareness. He created Benjamin, fully cognizant from the beginning that he would possess something extraordinary." He let out a deep sigh.

"What is Benjamin capable of?" His wife inquired, curious to learn more about the Egyptian vampire's unique gift.

Edward explained, a hint of intrigue in his voice. "According to Eleazar, it's something he's never encountered before, something I've never even heard of, and something even your remarkable shield wouldn't be effective against." He then smiled and continued, "Benjamin has the ability to directly influence the elements—earth, wind, water, and fire. It's not mere mind manipulation, it's true physical manipulation. Benjamin is still exploring the extent of his abilities, and Amun aims to mold him into a weapon. However, as you can see, Benjamin is fiercely independent. He refuses to be used."

Amun proved to be a highly difficult individual, and his mate, Kebi, remained mostly silent. In contrast, Benjamin was the most approachable among the group. They often pondered why he had never chosen to leave the coven, and it seemed as though a response would forever remain elusive.