Emma Smith: Torchwood

The Volturi

I am on the plane heading into Italy. Jane has promised to meet me at the airport, and we will travel to Volterra under the cover of night so she will not be exposed. Great.

Jane is waiting, as promised. I smile, worriedly. At least she has agreed to meet me here. Jack, Tosh and Owen have said goodbye to me at the airport. Jack has tried to make the Volturi promise that they will return me, but they haven't made any promises. I think part of that is due to Caius wanting to get rid of me.

It is dark when we arrive, and we move quickly into Volterra. Two more vampires are waiting for us at the entrance. "This is Felix," Jane gestures to the taller one with dark brown hair, "and Demetri." My eyes find another vampire with blonde hair. Like Felix, he is tall, but he looks smaller when the two of them are standing together. Jane leads me towards a lift, and we go down. I feel nervous.
"Jack has told us to bring Emma back to Cardiff alive," Jane tells Felix and Demetri. The doors open and a woman greets us, speaking Italian.
"Does she know?" I whisper. Jane nods, silently.
"She's also human."
"Does she want to be one of you?"
"She hopes to be."
"And she will be," Demetri agrees.
"Or dessert," Jane interrupts. I glower at her.
"Don't do anything like that in front of me." Jane glances at me, smiling.
"Can't make any promises." She pulls the doors open, and we walk through into a massive room. I stare around in shock, not quite registering how tall the room is. I can't hear what one of the Volturi is saying as I am in shock. I turn to look at them, waiting for someone to speak to me. One of the vampires sitting on the three thrones stands up. He has long black hair and red eyes that seem milky.

"You must be Emma Smith-White," he smiles. "Jane has told us a lot about you. It's such a pleasure to meet you." He holds his hand out. "May I?" Slowly, I lift my hand, so it is in his.
I can feel him moving through my mind, watching, learning. I feel a little freaked out by this. How does it work? Slowly, he realises my hand. "Incredible," he smiles. "Twins," he considers. "Your brother, does he know you are here?"
"Yes."
"Such a shame about your sisters. They seem like very interesting people."
"I guess you can say that."

The blonde haired vampire stands and starts towards me. Jane turns to him and growls, suddenly standing between him and me. This vampire must be Caius. He stares at me through his milky red eyes. I shiver despite the warmth of the room. He wants me dead.
"Aro?" The sitting vampire asks. Jane leans towards me.
"That's Marcus," she whispers. "He can see other people's relationships. He always looked bored ever since his mate died."
"That's so sad," I whisper. "I wish there is a way we can help him."
"I don't think there is."

"Emma seems to be Jane's mate."
"Even though she's a kid? That's impossible!" Caius snarled.
"Emma is different," Aro explains. "Even though she is six, she is already starting to go through puberty. Human-Qetesh Hybrids go through puberty at a young age."
"You know my kind?" I ask, shocked.
"I have met several," Aro agrees, turning back to me. "If you want to change now, you can. You won't be a liability to our kind or risk us getting discovered."
"My family-"
"They'll have to believe you are dead."
"I don't think I can do this to them," I shake my head. "They've already had the loss of my sisters."

"You have to get rid of her," Caius snarls, sitting back down. "The girl is a liability to all vampires."
"If you kill her, you'll have to kill me too," Jane snarls back. "I'll hunt in the city, expose myself to the humans, create an immortal child, I don't care. If you kill her, I will follow."
"We can't risk that," Aro agrees. "Such a talent such as yours, Jane. Chelsea?" A new vampire walks in with light brown hair. She is short and has an hourglass figure. She turns to the two of us.
"What is she doing?" I whisper.
"She can make or break emotional ties," Jane tells me. Chelsea growls in annoyance.
"Their emotional ties are too strong," she tells Aro. "I can't break them."
"Fascinating," Aro smiles. He turns to me. "Emma, when you are ready, would you like to join us?"
"I don't know," I admit. I glower at Caius. "He would try to find a way to get rid of me whatever happens."
"Caius?" Aro chuckles. "Yes, there is that problem. Now, Emma, we need to feed. Can you please wait in the waiting room?" I nod, smiling. As I exit with Demetri, I see a group of people walking towards us- including children!

Aro asks all people under the age of eighteen to follow Demetri and me. There is a struggle as children scream and struggle to be with their parents. Jane comes out to help, and we get them all into the elevator. The doors begin closing. The screaming begins before the doors fully closed. Children begin banging on the doors, begging to be let out.

Demetri leads the children out back to their families if they still have any. Jane sits beside me. "I'm sorry you had to see that," she tells me. "But at least we've got the children out. Now," she begins standing up. "If you will excuse me. I have to get back." I nod, slowly. Jane quickly hurries out of the room.

I must have fallen asleep because Jane is shaking me awake. "Emma, wake up," she whispers. Her eyes are now ruby red. I smile, weakly.
"What happened?" I ask, weakly. I look behind her to see Aro standing there. He smiles at me.
"Emma," Aro begins. "Your emotional ties with Jane are very strong- stronger than anything I have seen before. We think we can allow Jane to stay with your during the late autumn and winter, possibly. Each year, we will let you know when she will be able to visit you so you can spend some time with her."
"But-"
"You don't want to spend so much time with her than you have today?"
"No, it's not that. Caius wouldn't agree."
"Who cares about him?" Aro chuckles. "I thought you would be happy."
"I am," I agree. "It's summer where I am at the moment."
"We'll send Jane over mid-October. How is that?" I nod, silently. Jane pulls me into her arms, and Aro leaves the room.

Music is playing through one of the speakers, soft, slow. Jane begins to twirl the two of us round in slow circles, our eyes locked. "Stay safe, for me," she whispers. "I will come for you as soon as possible." I nod, silently. Mentally, I make a note, telling Jack about what has happened. We continue twirling, like a couple on the dance floor, a couple so in love. Love is a word I have not used in years. My parents say it I love you, an emotional commitment, a tie you can't break. Love is strong; it is what leads to a happily ever after. I am like a kid, still believing in fairy tales, thinking that everything will eventually be put right. Prince and Princess. Husband and Wife. Boyfriend and Girlfriend.
It doesn't always work out like that like the fairy tales want you to believe. Sometimes it is Princess and Princess. Prince and Prince. Girlfriend and Girlfriend. I know this from experience, from my parents. That is what they are, not wife and wife. They have not got that far, the law will not allow them to marry- not yet, anyway.

I am on the plane back home, the sky covered in stars like a blanket. They appear one by one until they twinkle in the night sky. I smile as the plane touches back in Cardiff. All of Torchwood is waiting for me, and I finally feel safe. Jack pulls me into a hug. I begin crying. I held all of that emotion in for a very long time. All those people, they probably didn't deserve what happened to them.

Autumn begins to arrive. There is a chill in the air. The nights draw in, the sky keeps cloudy. I look out of the window in my room. There is a letter on my desk from Aro, naming the date Jane will come. The 21st October 2006.