The Story of Lexi and Ben Cullen. Ben has been withdrawn and in a deep depression since losing his little sister over a hundred years ago. She's back and her best friends are staying at his house. When Edward and Bella's newest daughter Lexi goes exploring the large Volturi Mansion in the middle of the night expecting no one to be around she comes across the mysterious brother and quietest leader of the Volturi.

This is a 'kind of' sequel to chapter 2, Frozen Heart. It takes place a month after.

For Samy. I'm sorry it took me so long to write this but here it is, finally :)

Lexi Cullen

Chicago, USA. 2145.

Chicago was amazing, or more, the Volturi was amazing. I had heard so many stories as I grew up, some of the old version, run by Aro, the version run by Matthew before Allesandra's death then Zio's Volturi and I had to say I didn't expect it to be so smoothly run, for the headquarters to be so… well magnificent. There was no other word to describe this mansion. It wasn't just this mansion either, there was like a whole neighbourhood behind it. Cut off from the main headquarters but there all the same, where the guard stayed mostly, and houses for the Cullen's. My parents had their own house, Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper and Grandpa Carlisle and Esme. The main Volturi part of the family lived in the actual mansion; they lived on the top two floors, which was still huge as it was. This four story house was a maze I just couldn't get my vampire head around.

It was the second night we were here, the drama with Jonathan seemed to settle, Allesandra had persuaded her family that he was her mate, I didn't know if she believed it or not but seeing them together was really something. They teased and played with each other, I knew when they were using their abilities on each other, they'd randomly start laughing at each other and suddenly the curtains would be on fire or the carpet just a little too cold.

As long as they were having fun I don't think anyone cared. Maybe they were mates after all. It seemed too perfect not to be true love.

It was late in the night, maybe 3am. Normally I'd go to one of the houses and hang out with some of my vampire family, or Beth and I would go on a walk but Beth was sleeping tonight. Something she rarely did but it meant I was alone. I found one of the many balconies, it lead out from the main landing area on the top floor and overlooked the front of the Volturi property.

I thought I was the only one awake in the mansion but as I heard someone approach the balcony door I tensed.

I could smell him as he walked up to me.

I hadn't spoken to him; not really, I had met him but only ever had a conversation with him with Allesandra.

"Good evening Alexandra," Ben said leaning over the balcony with me. I couldn't help but giggle at his formality.

"Good evening Benjamin, or do I call you Beniamino?" I asked him and looked at him out of the corner of my eye, he looked horrified.

"No, it's Ben, or Benjamin. Never Beniamino. You're family," he said to me quickly.

"Sorry," I laughed. We fell silent for a while; I didn't want this to be awkward. I decided to ask him why he was here. "Why aren't you fast asleep like the rest of the house?" I asked him.

"I don't sleep, not often anyway."

"But you're a hybrid, you need sleep right?" I asked

"I've learnt to live without it. I haven't slept more than four hours in a very very long time," he said, his voice getting quieter as he looked out over the land below us.

"Why?" I whispered but I already knew the answer.

"Last time I slept the whole night I was 5 years old, it was the night Allesandra was abducted. After that I couldn't sleep out of grief. When Allesandra was back I couldn't sleep out of paranoia."

"That she'd die again?" I asked.

"That I couldn't protect her again," he said to me. I felt a lump in my throat at that. "I don't think I've ever met anyone that loves their sister as much as you do," I told him truthfully.

"She was my world and then she was taken away from me." he said with a light shrug.

"You know that won't ever happen again right?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Doesn't mean I can sleep without waking up screaming."

"Nightmares?" I whispered.

"Not plural, singular. Same one. Every time," he told me. I resisted the urge to reach out to him, to comfort him. I could guess what that nightmare was; I assumed it involved fire and his little sister screaming.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's okay. Like I said, my body is used to it now." He said a little happier. "So you're the mermaid right? Do you miss the sea?" he asked.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"You're not the only one who gets told stories about our family," he winked. I was sure I would have blushed if I could.

"Yeah I miss it but I love our family. I wouldn't give them up for the world." I told him truthfully.

"I'm glad," he smiled at me. I broke eye contact quickly.

"Well I must be getting in; I said I'd meet Aunt Alice about four to discuss shopping."

"Okay," he said softly. "It was nice talking to you Alexandra," he said with a courteous nod.

"It's Lexi," I smiled at him. "And you too Ben," I said and walked back into the house.

It had been a month but every night since that night I had found my way onto the balcony, and every night Benjamin joined me. Sometimes we didn't say a word to each other, sometimes we talked all night but I looked forward to it. Every day.

Tonight was the night of Alle's party. Beth, Izellah and I were in Allesandra's bedroom, in the day I avoided Benjamin like a plague and he avoided me too, it was like we didn't know each other. I didn't know what was going on with us but I felt like the night time was saved for him, the day time was saved for my friends so I didn't really mind that he was avoiding me, he had a job to do anyway. He was a leader of the most powerful coven in the world. Of course he doesn't want to spend time with me. Alle was spending a lot of time with Jonathan too, especially in the day. I had mostly been with Beth and Ella but I had yet to mention what I get up to at night. Beth had been spending a lot of time with our Aunt Rose at night, which suited me just fine.

"So Alle… is Jonathan actually your mate? Because you seem to be spending a lot of time with him," I winked at her, she blushed. It wasn't often you saw Allesandra Cullen blush.

"I really like him," she said softly. Beth and I giggled.

"Aww," Ella cooed. "I'm so happy for you Alle. Just the other two now," she said and winked at me and Beth. We laughed.

"We don't need a man," Elizabeth laughed.

"You don't want to find your mate?" Alle asked her.

"Well of course I do… I just. I don't know. I'm not really interested in that kind of thing yet. I'm glad you two are happy though," she said to Ella and Alle. There was a knock on the door and after Alle called for them to come in, it was Ben. He looked around at us for a moment before focusing on his sister.

"Alice is here to help you with your dress," Ben said to Alle. Matthew was throwing a party in the Volturi mansion to celebrate Jonathan and Allesandra. Something about her finally finding her mate but there were parties every other week, it was just another excuse for socialisation. The leaders seemed to keep friendly with their guard and allies, after all they never knew when a new threat would turn up and they'd need their help.

"Okay send her up," she smiled at her brother, he nodded and just for a second his eyes flickered to mine before he left.

"What was that?" Alle asked looking at me. I probably would have blushed if I wasn't a vampire.

"What?" I asked. How on earth did she even catch that? He looked at me for a split second, but then who was I kidding, Allesandra Cullen never missed anything.

"My brother and you!" she said with wide eyes.

"There's nothing," I laughed, "all he did was look at me. He looked at all of us."

"You the longest though!" Ella said with a huge smile

"Oh please. He's one of the most powerful men in the world. He's not interested in simple old me," I rolled my eyes.

"You're not simple. You're amazing and you're a Cullen. You're powerful too," Beth reassured me.

"Exactly you're the perfect mix, you're a Cullen but adopted, so technically you're not related to my brother at all. Oh my gosh!" Alle said in a rant and raised her hands at the end. They were on my shoulders and her face was centimetres from mine. "We could be sister in laws!" she grinned. I laughed at my hyperactive friend and raised my hand over the glass of water on the side. I pulled the water out of it and used my ability to throw it over Alle's head.

"Calm down," I laughed hysterically. The other girls were laughing too; Alle was fuming for about three seconds before she burst out laughing. The water evaporated from her hair in seconds and she smirked at me.

"Fire beats water every time, my darling," she said. I rolled my eyes just as the door opened again and in came my aunts, Rosalie and Alice.

"Are you girls ready for the best party of the year?" Alice grinned at us all. She came in with at least ten dresses in her hand, Rose had boxes, probably full of makeup.

"Yes!" Ella smiled and rushed to help. I noticed Beth roll her eyes and cross her legs on Alle's bed. Beth or Eliza as she was now called was the least girly of us all. I grew up with her as my sister when she took the name 'Beth', I found it hard to call her Eliza all the time. She would always be Beth to me and I was glad she didn't mind me calling her that. It was a reminder of home. Our island.

Ella was the most girly, then probably me and Alle were joint. Beth avoided dresses if she could.

"I have one for you too Beth," Alice said throwing her one. She lifted it up from the bed and looked at it before smiling.

"You know me too well Aunt Alice," she smiled at her. Alice beamed back. Beth would wear dresses but only certain kinds, clearly Alice knew exactly what she liked.

"It's my life mission to style the Cullen's. I know you all," she grinned and threw me one. The dress she gave me was gorgeous.

"Yep, definitely," I giggled. We dressed with our aunts, laughing and talking with each other. By the time the party was finally starting we were all ready. Jonathan came in, dressed casually but still smart. Clearly Alice had given him the clothes. I doubt he knew a thing about fashion. He smiled at the sight of Allesandra and was over by her in a second hugging her.

"You look beautiful," he whispered to her but my vampire ears heard it clearly.

"Thank you," she whispered back. I looked away, feeling like I was imposing on their moment. I hoped one day I'd find someone that would hug me and tell me I'm beautiful like that. Allesandra was very lucky she had found her other half. Over the last month I had noticed how well they worked together, Jonathan was literally her counterpart and I couldn't imagine things any differently. They belonged together, like the universe had intended Jonathan to be born as Alle's exact opposite. Fire and Ice. And neither could beat the other.

"Ok, girls lets go. Jonathan and Alle are coming down after us," Alice said tugging us out the room leaving the pair together. They had only been with each other a month and they were inseparable. It was actually kind of cute. I knew Alle's parents Matthew and Lidiya had fallen in love after only a week together. It didn't surprise me Alle would follow in their footsteps; I had walked in on them making out after only four days of knowing each other.

Ella, Beth and I walked down the steps hand in hand. Our family were all waiting in the hall way of the first floor. This was the 'house' part of the Volturi mansion, the ground floor was all business but the first and second floor were where the Cullen's lived and where the party was being held. The whole guard was invited too. It was a rare event where cloaks were not to be used. Everyone was dressed up to celebrate Jonathan and Allesandra. Beth and I walked over to our parents. Edward and Bella smiled at us, Bella wrapped her arms around my waist in a hug and Beth hugged Edward.

"You both look beautiful," Edward said.

"Thanks daddy," Beth giggled taking the words out of my mouth. Even as a fully grown woman, calling him 'dad' was strange, he would always be 'daddy' to me and Beth. It was a few moments before Allesandra and Jonathan came out hand in hand. This was the first time Jonathan was being presented to the guard and to our family as a new member. Many people had yet to meet him properly, hence the purpose of this event. Alice had planned it to perfection. We had an hour to talk, and then a meal would be served to those that could eat. Then it was dancing and alcohol would be served, even to the vampires. I was excited to see what it would be like.

After the meal, the dancing started and Ella, Beth and I immediately got up. We weren't even drinking but we loved a good song. Plus we didn't have other halves, or at least Beth and I didn't. Ella did but Henry wasn't here, he was in England running their country. It was strange to think of Izellah as a queen, to me she was just my sister. We were laughing and enjoying ourselves all evening. It was so much fun to be with everyone. Avia turned up part way through the night so Alle mostly spent time with her which we didn't mind since she was actually her best friend before us. We had each other, at the end of the day it would always be us three. We had grown up together and it would be a long time before any man knew any of us better than one another.

"I'm gunna get something to eat," Ella laughed and went over to the buffet table. Eliza followed her but I went to sit down for a moment as I waited for them. I pulled out my phone to see the time when I saw someone walk up to ;me; I looked up from my phone to see Benjamin standing in front of me. He smiled at me and held his hand out.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked. My eyes widened but I nodded and placed my hand in his.

"'Im surprised," I laughed but the second his hands were on my waist I couldn't help but step towards him, he smiled down at me.

"Why?" he asked.

"You avoid me in the day. I assumed you didn't want anyone to know about our friendship," i shrugged.

"I don't avoid you. I just have a job to do. Every waking minute I'm in that throne room, I think about you. I think about when I will next see you. I like you, you're not like the other friends my sister has. You're not like anyone I've ever met… and I've met a lot of people." He said as we danced together.

"What do you mean? You barely know me," I said with a frown but I couldn't help but feel my heart swell at the thought of him thinking about me all the time.

"We've spent every night together for over a month, I know quite a bit about you Alexandra," he said softly into my ear as he twirled me around. "Plus I watch you," he added unashamed.

"That's not creepy at all," I winked at him. He smiled back and his smile would have made my heart skip a beat if it could. I realised it wasn't just my feelings for Ben that were making me nervous. I had been with Ben every night but we had been private, no one knew and now here I was dancing with him in public and I hadn't even consulted Alle, she was my best friend and he was her brother. Her only brother, I knew how close they were. I was about to pull away when I noticed Alle watching us. I was about to go and talk to her but as I turned Ben pulled me back around and into his arms his face was millimetres from mine.

"I like you," he whispered, his lips were seconds away from brushing mine. I liked him too, more than I had ever liked anyone. I felt drawn to him like a moth to a flame but I couldn't get the sight of Alle watching us out of my head.

"Ben you're Alle's brother," I gasped. My head felt like it was full of water; my thoughts were swimming around, none of them coherent. I was meant to say I needed to talk to Alle, to make sure she didn't mind this but it sounded more like an accusation.

"So?" he asked with a frown. I knew i regretted saying it the moment I saw his face. I wanted to take it back but then I thought of my friend, I should have spoken to Alle. Alle had been joking in her bedroom earlier I really should have told her first. I should have told at least someone about this. I pulled away from him and went to find my sister; she'd know what to do, how to say it and how to repair whatever I had with Ben. I almost ran away from him, leaving him standing there confused.

I managed to find Beth but this was no time or place to discuss my nightly adventures with Benjamin Cullen. She knew something was up but she held my hand in comfort most of the night and that was enough for now. I managed to avoid any interaction with Ben, I often saw him out of the corner of my eye watching me but he never approached me, or I him. It was getting late and vampires around me were getting drunker by the minute. I didn't have any alcohol because all I could think about was Ben. I had wanted to kiss him and I regretted not doing it, I was overcome with the emotions I felt for him and I had no idea what was going to happen now. It was probably a bad idea to reject the most powerful man in the world right?

"Get away from her!" I heard his voice. My head whipped around and I saw him stalking towards Alle and someone I didn't know. The male flinched away and I could see Ben's anger at boiling point. "You know she's out of bounds, no one touches her. Ever!" he yelled.

"Ben calm down, he didn't do anything," Alle said to her brother. I ran over to see what was going on, just as I reached them I noticed Ben was about to hit the hybrid. I didn't know if he was a guard member or not, I guess he must have been.

"Ben!" I yelled, appearing in front of him. His eyes flickered from the man to me below him. "Calm down!" I told him, I reached out and put my hands on his chest. He relaxed immediately at my touch and his hand dropped.

"What's got into you?" I asked him with a frown.

"She's my sister" he grumbled just as Zio and Matthew arrived. Matthew led the accused hybrid away from us. Zio put his hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"Calm down Ben. She's here and she's safe," he told him, Ben hadn't taken his eyes off me in front of him, I was still touching him. I decided to hug him, I didn't understand what I saw but part of me knew he couldn't help it. I knew Ben loved his sister. He had always loved her and he lost her as a child. I knew from the stories that losing her had changed him as a person. He was angry a lot of the time. I felt his arms come around me and he relaxed.

"I'm impressed Lexi. He can only control his anger like that when I stop him," Alle said to me. I turned my head to look at her. She didn't seem angry or confused at the sight of me wrapped around her brother, she looked…. grateful. She rested her hand on her brother's arm that was still wrapped around me and I shrugged.

"I didn't want him to do something he'd regret," I said softly. Alle smiled at me.

"I think you should stick around a bit longer," she winked. I would have blushed if I could. Ben pulled away; he looked at his sister once before turning and leaving the room.

"I'll go after him," Alle said to me quickly and ran after her brother.

"I'm so confused," I sighed to Zio. He smiled at me briefly.

"I've never seen someone relax him that quickly before. Normally only Allesandra can calm him down," Zio told me.

I never knew that that day would be the first in many times I saw Ben unable to control his anger. It wasn't just when someone dared to look at Allesandra a way he wouldn't like; it would be me too, the more our friendship grew the more protective he became of me. Anyone he didn't like in court made him angry and I'd have Esther's voice in my head calling me down to the throne room as quickly as I could to calm him. Sometimes the sight of me managed to settle his rage, sometimes I'd have to touch him or block his view from whom or whatever was making him angry.

During our nights together he'd get frustrated, angry at himself for getting angry. He apologised after every break out, sometimes he broke down when it was just me and him, apologising until he was on his knees with his head in his hands. I would comfort him, hold him to me until he managed to look up at me with a gaze I couldn't only describe as love and trust and devotion. Ben was a strong, fierce leader in the day but only I saw the boy under the mask, because that's what he was, it was the walls he had built when he was five years old finally falling down. He was changing, he was feeling everything now, no longer supressing it, no longer hiding it.

The Cullen's were happy that he was changing, finally becoming a different man. Not the little boy that had been forced to grow up too fast into a broken man they were so used to seeing. They always said how grateful they were for me, that his love for me changed him but I wasn't always sure. They didn't see him at night, when emotion would overcome him and I couldn't help but feel it inside me too. I remember hearing the story of Allesandra as a child and thinking how awful it must have been for her parents but I never really thought about the effect it had on Ben, and I truly think he would have been a completely different man without those events.

"Why do you stay with me?" he asked, I had been in Chicago for nearly two years now, Beth had gone off to travel again, this time to La Push but I couldn't bring myself to go with her, I couldn't leave him now.

"You know why," I answered in a whisper. We weren't romantic, we had kissed, quite a few times, hugged and held each other when the other was sad or scared but never taking it any further. I knew our family thought we were more, they assumed that our connection was true love and maybe they were right. I loved him, I knew I loved him after a few weeks of knowing him, back when all we did was talk all night on the balcony of the Volturi Mansion.

"Can you say it?" he asked.

"Why does it need to be said? If I say it we can't go back."

"Why do you want to go back?" he asked.

"I am your friend Benj-," he cut me off from saying his full name, he rolled over so he was hovering over me in the bed I now called 'ours'.

"I love you," he told me, his lips millimetres from mine. I closed my eyes tightly at the words, a lump in my throat. "I love you Alexandra Elizabeth Cullen. I have loved you for far too long not to do anything about it and I know you love me too. You wouldn't have put up with me this long if you didn't," he smiled above me, my eyes went to his lips, his beautiful smile sent butterflies off in my stomach. He was right, of course he was right. My eyes moved from his lips to look into his beautiful brown eyes. As a child I'd see the brown eyes of my brother and sister and Jacob and wish I had such beautiful eyes, I never appreciated the sky blue ones my Nelifian parents gave me, they reminded me I was adopted into this family, not born into it. I always wanted brown to match them, I loved seeing my families eyes, the gold's and the browns. Now I had gold eyes I was grateful I could stare into Benjamin's brown ones. I couldn't express my emotions through our locked eyes so I brought my head up, my lips crashing with his and I used my strength to turn him over onto his back so I was on top instead. I kissed him harder than I had ever kissed him before, with more passion than I thought I had. I was careful not to hurt him as my hands went up his shirt and pulled it over his head, breaking our kiss for just a moment. He grinned up at me, flipping me back over onto my back and kissing me back harder than I thought possible for a hybrid.

Ben and I were a couple after that night. He began sleeping more; he was up to six hours a night now. He was happier in the day; he was stronger too and didn't look as ill either.

It took us almost fifteen years to get married. We had fallen into a routine, we had been happy who we were for the longest time but I had a craving inside me, it grew every day and I knew how to remedy it if I would just tell Ben what I wanted.

I wanted children, I had no doubt my sisters all had them by now and I had grown up with many brothers and sisters as a Nelifia then my large adoptive family after that. I wanted children and I wanted a lot of them too.

I was lucky because Ben wanted to give me everything I wanted. Our first daughter Arya was born three months after we were married, then came Cato and six children after that. Most people couldn't believe we had so many, even our family couldn't believe we had so many but I saw it as my life and I couldn't imagine my life any differently.

Ben still got angry, every now and then but I was his remedy now, he called me his tranquillity and if I had to spend forever reminding him of that I would.