Romeo and... Cullen?

20. Face Off

 "Were the snowflakes fun?" Esme asked as they walked into the house. She was in the kitchen cooking for Verne, Renesmee, and Jacob.

"Yeah. We saw Irina today but she kind of just ran off."

"I'll call the Denali's," Carlisle said.

He returned just as they began to eat lunch. "Tanya convinced Irina to come reconcile with us after Bella and Edward's wedding."

"Well it looks like she changed her mind," Edward said.

"She's family. She'll come around."

The wolf pack had come over after lunch at Verne's request. She and Jacob wanted everyone to try and get along more, not just tolerate each other. It wasn't easy but slowly people were opening up. To everyone's surprise but Verne's, Leah and Rosalie started to grow closer. She knew their general disdain for everything would make them quick friends.

Edward was teaching Renesmee to play the piano as everyone hung around. Alice walked in with a new flower arrangement. Just as Renesmee hit a high note on the piano key, the vase Alice was holding dropped to the ground as she stood there frozen. Everyone looked over. Jasper rushed to grab Alice.

"What did you see?"

"The Volturi. Aro, Caius, Marcus, the guard, Irina..." Alice said. "They're coming for us."

"What did Irina see in the woods?" Edward asked Verne and Bella.

"Nothing," Verne answered.

"Yeah, Ness was just catching snowflakes," Bella added.

"Of course. Irina thinks Renesmee's an immortal child," he said.

"A what?" Leah asked.

Verne took Renesmee upstairs to rest in her room while Carlisle ushered everyone into the library.

"Immortal children..." Carlisle explained. "Were very beautiful. So enchanting that to be near them was to love them. But development freezes at the age you're turned and they couldn't be taught or restrained. A single tantrum could destroy villages. The Volturi was forced to intervene. The children couldn't protect our secret and had to be destroyed. The creators grew very attached and fought to protect them. Long established covens torn apart, countless human lives slaughtered. Traditions, friends, even families. All lost."

"So, the Denali's mother made an immortal child?" Bella asked.

"And she paid the price."

"Ness isn't like that though. She was born not bitten, she grows every single day."

"We can't just explain that to the Volturi?" Seth asked.

"Aro has enough proof of what he wants in Irina's thoughts," Edward said.

"Ok, so we fight," Sam said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Emmett and Jacob agreed with him.

Jasper shook his head. "Their offensive weapons are too strong. No one can stand against Jane and her brother's even worse."

"So we convince them," Bella said.

"Well they're coming to kill you, not talk."

"No, you're right," Edward started. "They won't listen to us; but, maybe others can convince them. Carlisle, we have friends all around the world."

"I won't ask them to fight."

"Not fight, witness. Maybe if enough people knew the truth, maybe we could convince the Volturi to listen."