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The chaos didn’t last very long, actually. The Volturi and their guards froze, standing there with the most oddly twisted expressions on their faces. It looked as though they were battling between enmity and sympathy. I, too, gave up the battle. I wasn’t sure if it was because I wanted to see what they were thinking, یا if the looks on their faces amused me. No one got destroyed. Felix, however, has a few chunks taken out of him and my bite marks, like Jasper’s, will remain. It took me longer than it should have to realize Charlie was causing the Volturi to feel sympathetic. They were literally unable to harm us - even if they wanted to.
Charlie is able to control exactly who is affected سے طرف کی his power. He’s practiced enough that he can just think of the person, his victim, and they will feel too much sympathy to hurt anything. If the Volturi had plans to hurt Nessie, Charlie’s gift could possibly have been the only thing that would have stopped them.
Aro was quick to realize what was going on. Charlie stood there, his eyes beaming brighter than theirs - his face focused, bitter. Every Volturi member in the room became مزید and مزید loving as the سیکنڈ passed. The ferocity vanished from their faces, slowly, dripping off like molasses. Aro, with an endearing grin on his delicate looking face kept his milky eyes on Charlie as he spoke. “I don’t believe I’ve ever felt this harmless in my life. I feel as though I truly love everyone,” his smile grew deeper. “I can see آپ are a very gifted family. All I wanted was for آپ to شامل میں our coven, to help make us stronger. It would be so… convenient for آپ to شامل میں us. I’m sorry I have gone to such great lengths in my attempt to have آپ شامل میں us.”
Carlisle, the most reasonable one of us - and the one who has known Aro the longest began to speak, holding his hand just slightly in front of himself. “Aro, I hope آپ know that I certainly didn’t create my family in hopes that we would be مزید powerful than your coven. That was never my intention. However, we do live a completely different lifestyle than آپ do. It would be going against everything we believe and everything we’ve worked hard for to شامل میں your coven. I hope you’ll understand.” He paused momentarily, giving Aro a chance to digest everything he said, then began again. ” I want آپ to know that if آپ ever needed our help, we would be there. Not as part of your coven, but if آپ needed us to help you, we would. We, too, do not want our kind to be exposed. So, if آپ ever need help making sure that never happens, we will be مزید than happy to help… as long as آپ return the girl, محفوظ and unharmed.”
Aro jolted a little, as if Carlisle had just reminded him that they had Renesmee. He motioned for one of his guards to come over to him, then asked that she bring Nessie back out. I was biting my lower lip nervously, hoping that Charlie could keep his special gift working. At this rate, we could get anything we wanted from them. I only had one thing on my mind, though. I wanted my perfect, beautiful daughter back in my arms, safe.
The guard left the room, and was back before I even had a chance to look away from where she was standing. My beautiful Nessie was in her arms. I was frustrated, though. I wanted her in my arms. I wanted her to be ہوم with Edward and I. I wanted to watch Edward sing her to sleep, his angelic voice soothing her, making her drift off with a tiny grin on her face.
Aro and the guard conversed for a moment. Edward was listening to what they were saying, and the look on his face slowly lit up with each thought that crossed Aro’s mind. I looked at Edward, widening my eyes, raising one eyebrow curiously. He got the hint and mumbled a quick summary under his breath. “Aro wants to return Nessie to us. He just has one condition.” He stopped talking before he told me the condition. Thanks, Edward. I flickered my eyes between Aro and Edward, growing anxious, hoping Edward would fill me in on the rest. He didn’t. I didn’t push it any further, though, once I saw that he was blowing a kiss to Nessie. He looked so perfect. So loving.
I waited, impatiently, for Aro to speak, growing مزید hopeful every سیکنڈ that the beautiful mini angel in the guards arms would be free to come ہوم with us. Alice stood to one side of me, holding onto my arm, also becoming مزید antsy with each passing second. We were all mostly afraid that Charlie might not be able to keep his power working. He’s never had to keep it going for this long, and he looked as though he was starting to get a headache. Either that, یا he was getting agitated. Either way, we had to hurry this along, just in case.
I grunted loudly, getting Aro’s attention. He raised his head to see where the noise came from, a smile slowly forming on his face as he finally spoke. “I apologize for the wait my dear friends.” He motioned for the guard to bring Nessie towards us and began again. “I want آپ to know that I truly mean no harm. I guess I got a little selfish, and for that I apologize. I will give the girl back at once, under one condition.” I was afraid to hear the condition, especially since it was notably absent in Edward’s brief summary.
“I will give the girl back as long as آپ agree to help us if we ever require your assistance… your special talents. آپ see, with your talents, we would be much مزید successful at keeping our kind concealed. If آپ will agree to that, then the girl will be handed over.” His red, cloudy eyes moved slowly this time, back and fourth between Nessie and Carlisle.
We all looked at each other and Edward read everyone’s thoughts, except mine - but he already knew my answer. I would do anything to have Renesmee back. Everyone else agreed, too. Edward whispered something brief to Carlisle, who then passed the message back to Aro. “Like I کہا earlier, we will absolutely help آپ out when آپ need us. We never intended to become the enemy.” Carlisle’s voice was curt and contradicted his smile. Before he could say anything else, Aro warned him of the consequences of the agreement. “You do know, my dear Carlisle and friends, that آپ could lose a family member in your attempts to help. It does come with the territory.” He shot his milky eyes down at the ground for a moment.
“We understand, Aro.” Edward’s voice was like velvet. I could see that this was coming to an end, and Edward’s short response was a clear indication that he, too, was becoming impatient, anxious.
I was confused when Edward looked back at Charlie and asked him to release his power. Charlie was confused, too, but complied. I assumed Edward felt safer now that the agreement was made - and he wanted to make sure they would stick to their word. It would be pointless to have them agree to something while under Charlie’s power, only to have them go back on it as soon as he released it.
Everyone’s face almost instantly looked harder all of a sudden. I even heard a few hisses. Aro’s face was still joyous looking, though, and he asked the guard to place Nessie in my arms. I was careful not to hold her too tight, although it was hard not to. We all crowded around her, taking turns holding her. I kissed the سب, سب سے اوپر of her head مزید times than I can count. Edward scooped her out of my arms and told her which songs he was going to sing to her once they got back home. She smiled, her eyes lighting up with each word. Esme held onto Renesmee while Edward and I stepped آگے to thank Aro, who was baffled سے طرف کی our reaction to our half human daughter. After he کہا goodbye to each of us, he asked Jane and Alec to escort us back out.
Alec tried to make small talk with Charlie along the way. “That’s quite the gift آپ have there. I actually felt as though I would be unable to harm a human, no matter how thirsty.” Charlie wasn’t up for talking. He flashed a half smile that didn’t meet his eyes and choked out an almost painfully sarcastic “mhm.” I laughed.
We were welcomed back ہوم سے طرف کی Jacob curled up on the floor beside Nessie’s bed, weeping. He looked too big to be curled up in such a vulnerable position. When he saw that Nessie was with us he stood up immediately and I could have sworn her wiped a small puddle of tears from the side of his face. Nessie was in his arms, laughing with her tiny hand placed gently on his cheek. She was دکھانا him everything that happened through her thoughts. His face was like watching a movie in fast forward, and the expressions went up and down as he processed everything she showed him. Nessie removed her hand from his cheek, looked up at his russet face and کہا “I love you” before yawning and laying her head on his shoulder.
“I love آپ too, Nessie.” Jacob’s face was full of relief.
-Bella
