Hands on Me (A Twilight Fanfiction written by IndependentIndividuality)

Chapter Fourteen: In Which it is Not a Movie

I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH THAT IT ISNT EVEN MINE XD

Chapter Fourteen: In Which it is Not a Movie

don't forget that you're condemned to me
can't you see? you always were
you'll always be

- shakira, rules

-

The next few days seemed to drag and speed past at the same time. We stayed nowhere more than one night, but we didn't drive as fast or for as long, taking more breaks and turning in earlier.

I was sure not to press for information as bluntly as before, since just the thought of upsetting Jacob like that again tore at my insides, but I managed to get quite a few more details. Jake seemed more than willing to talk about plans and things of that nature with me, just not any nefarious plans to do me any harm, which was fine with me as I decided I was actually better off not knowing. Besides, any curiosity I may have had was overweighed by my hatred of doing anything to hurt Jake.

Alice had the vision of the Volturi sending someone the day she found out about Grandpa Charlie's wedding, and my family and Jacob had been planning ever since. Alice tried to see through all her holes, to search for the results of all their different plans. Staying to fight would not work, and running as a whole would not either – neither would involving the wolves. Not completely anyway – all of these plans would keep me safe, as Alice saw, but not without a cost: some would not survive. Jake wouldn't tell me who, and I didn't ask again. I wasn't sure I wanted to know who would be the one or ones not to survive because of me.

The only plan that Alice said she could see the hope of working without any . . . casualties, was this one.

Jacob explained to me about the Volturi's visit when I was younger, and his recollection tugged at something in my memory, but I could not call it up. Just strange flashes of things: the smell of snow, the feeling of sadness and fear, and russet fur gripped between small fingers. I could tell he was editing his story, but not how, and that bothered me. It was frustrating not to remember something that you experienced yourself, something so pivotal to your existence.

The Volturi were interested in me, what I was, even after it was proved that I was not dangerous. Their leader, Aro (Jacob could not or would not remember his name, but I had learned this much from my studies with Grandpa Carlisle) was a collector of sorts and certain members of my family were seen as . . . assets, and it bothered them that they refused to join, though they tried not to show it.

Then they learned of Nahuel and his sisters' existence, and our differences interested them even more. Nahuel, for instance, was venomous and I was not, yet we could both sustain on human food. And though Jacob did not mention anything of that nature again and I did not ask, they were wanting to see if we could reproduce, if I could.

I had never thought about it much, but now that it had been brought to my attention, I couldn't help but wonder. Could I have children? What did I want the answer to be? Whenever I thought of this, a picture of brown haired, toffee-skinned children floated across my mind and I shot it down.

Maybe I was like a mule, what happened when you crossed a horse and a donkey. They could mate together and produce offspring, but that offspring could not. A genetic dead end. I didn't know how I felt about that.

Or maybe I would be able to reproduce only with another half-breed, the only male of which currently known was Nahuel. Or maybe only humans, or maybe only vampires. I'm sure this is what the Volturi were wondering, but why it was so important to them, I wasn't sure. I knew why it was important to me.