Two Worlds, One Family

Chapter 10: Meeting the Leaders

As Demetri and Jane led the group down the long corridor of the building, Aurora took in her surroundings. With every second passing as they got closer to the door, the human girl felt her heart beginning to race with slight fear. Edward turned to look at his niece who walked in front of him, between her parents. He could tell that she was nervous and scared about meeting the three most powerful and dangerous vampires in the world and he couldn't blame her. Just then, they came to a stop at a door and Demetri knocked on it, stepping back. A loud voice from inside the room said, "Enter!" Demetri then opened the door and led the group inside with Jane next to him. As the matriarch of the Cullen family, Carlisle stood in front of his family and faced the three leaders. One of them, a man with jet black hair, stood from his chair and made his way over to the Cullen members. On instinct, Emmett gently pushed Aurora slightly behind him, protectively. The man smiled brightly at Carlisle and said, opening his arms for his close friend, "Ah, Carlisle. How delightful of you to visit us. I was worried that you wouldn't accept our invitation." Carlisle held back a bitter chuckle and replied, "Well, we weren't exactly given the choice to do so otherwise, Aro." Aro chuckled and said, "Come now, let's set all trouble aside. Now, where is your new addition? I'd like to see her." His eyes searched for the newest Cullen member, suddenly, there was movement in the corner of his eyesight and he turned to see Emmett. Emmett stood protectively in front of his daughter and flexed his muscles, to show that he wasn't going to budge. From behind him, Aurora clutched to her father's shirt as her heart raced a million miles per second. She could feel the tension in the air and was beginning to regret her decision on coming in the first place. Aro chuckled at the younger vampier and said to him, "Come on now, no need for that." Emmett didn't respond as he turned to glance at Carlisle who nodded at him.

Reluctantly, Emmett stepped aside and gently pulled Aurora in front of him. However, since he couldn't keep her behind him, he placed his hands on her shoulders. Aurora gulped slightly and glanced up at Aro before turning back to the ground. From the sidelines, Rosalie watched her daughter and husband with narrowed eyes as she waited for Aro to try to do something. She wasn't going to let anything happen to her daughter and husband, not if she could help it. Aro gently placed his hand on the girl's chin and lifted it him, causing Aurora to look up at him. He chuckled and said to Carlisle, glancing over at Rosalie, "She certainly does have her mother's looks; Carlisle. I'm sure you're proud." Carlisle smiled softly at his granddaughter, who glanced at him with fear in her eyes, and replied, "Immensely." Aro turned back to the young girl in front of him and said to her, "What's your name, my dear?" Aurora gulped and replied, "Aurora, sir." Aro chuckled and said, "Good manners as well. *He then let go of the girl's chin and stepped away* Well, I can see that this young girl is quite the apple to your family's eyes, Carlisle." Aurora let out a heavy breath she didn't realize she had been holding and leaned back into her father. Emmett rubbed his daughter's arms up and down, trying to soothe her nerves. Rosalie instantly came over to her small family's side and placed her hands on her daughter's cheeks, checking on her. Aurora placed her hands on her mother's wrist and nodded at her. Carlisle turned to his friend and said to him, as Edward went over to his niece as well, "Now that you've seen my granddaughter, will this standoff of ours come to an end? She's not a danger to anyone. She's hasn't shown any signs of vampirism since she's been in our lives." Aro turned back to his friend and said, "I'm afraid that can't be assured, my friend. You see, we'll have to do some test of our own to make sure that your granddaughter is as who you say she is."

At that, Aurora's eyes widened and she moved closer to her parents, who instantly wrapped their arms around her. Edward stood in front of his niece and her parents, with a menacing glare on his face. Aro then turned again and made his way back to his chair. Rosalie glared at the vampire leader and said, "If you harm one hair on my daughter's head, I swear I will tear you limb from limb!" Aurora glanced up at her mother in shock and turned back to the vampire leader. Aro stopped in tracks and turned to face Rosalie who glared fiercely at him. He was taken back by the young vampire's boldness and willingness to protect her young. He could tell that she wasn't going to back down but he had to do what was right for the vampire world to keep it safe and concealed. It was like the Renesmee incident all over again. Aurora glanced between each adult in the room and remembered something Derek once told her about vampires when they had do deal with a supernatural creature, who was a vampire. While a vampire looses their ability to bleed out, humans are more prone to losing their blood quickly. The teenage girl rushed to grab a hair pen from her hair and poked her finger, causing her to wince and her parents to turn to her with worried eyes. Aurora turned to Aro and said to him, as the adults looked at her with surprise, "You want proof?! Here's your proof! I'm completely human! My mom gave birth to me naturally and I have no desire to drink human blood!" Aro watched the girl with intent, seeing how similar the girl was to her mother. She had the same fierceness and determination as Rosalie. His eyes then landed on the blood dripping from the girl's finger, watching it as it fell down to the floor. Aurora continued, "Now that you got your proof, will you leave my family alone in peace? As far as I can tell, they haven't done anything wrong. They're only trying to live out their lives. I can tell you that they have for a very long time until you nutjobs came to ruin everything." Rosalie gasped and said, scolding her daughter for the name calling, "Aurora......" Aurora turned to her mother and replied, "It's true, Mom."

From the sidelines, Edward glanced between his niece and the vampire leaders, worried about what their response would be. He knew that his niece did her best to hold her thoughts together but it took only so much to let her speak her mind. Even Carlisle, who stood next to him, watched the scene unfold nervously. A woman's voice said, grabbing everyone's attention, "Maybe we should leave them be, Aro, my love. They haven't done anything wrong or unwise. And this young lady can be a good asset to have." Aurora turned to see a beautiful woman with dark hair and a cape come to stand by Aro's side. Aro sighed and said to his wife, "If you say so, Suplicia, my sweet." Suplicia turned to the Cullen's and said to them, giving them a soft smile, "Why don't we show you to your rooms? I'm sure you all are exhausted from your long journey. Why don't we find a bandage for your finger, my dear one?" Aurora had nearly forgotten about her finger until the woman had mentioned it. She glanced down and saw that blood was still dripping from it, instantly putting it in her mouth to try to stop it. Suplicia chuckled and said, escorting the Cullen clan members out of the room, "Come with me." She led the group out of the room, with Aurora in the rear. The teenage girl took in her surroundings as the Lady of Vampires led her and her family to a hallway that had rooms on both sides. Suplicia turned back to the family and said to them, coming to a stop, "These are your rooms. You may choose which one you'd like. Dinner, of course, will be ready in a hour so you can rest." Aurora turned to her mother and said to her, "Dinner? I thought vampires drank blood." Suplicia heard the young girl and replied, chuckling, "We do, young one, but since you are human; I had a cook come and provide food for you. I understand that even though you were born from vampires, you don't possess the vampire abilities, one of which is the lust for blood. Why don't you come with me and I shall bandage your finger for you?" Aurora glanced nervously at her parents, unsure if she should. Emmett glanced at Rosalie and he nodded at their daughter, silently assuring her. Aurora then followed the vampire away from her family, glancing back at them as they went.