Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

Wow! Maybe I'll leave cliffies like that more often, haha, that was a lot of reviews! I enjoyed them all! But one person sent me the very best, longest, most detailed reviews, with lots of questions that I'm sure many of you share, so I'll answer them on here.

Andrea Newell:

"but I take issue with Jane being portrayed as an affectionate creature who doesn't like inflicting punishment on a friend. I can't imagine that genuine friendships would be too much tolerated in the Volturi, since loyalty to any individual could threaten loyalty to the masters."

-I like to show a little of the human qualities in the vampires, as they all seem to have some. Jane is cold and indifferent, yes, but only from the Cullens' point of view, as their enemy. I can imagine that there must be some sense of fellowship in order for the members to function together. And Jane's friendship with Demetri obviously does not overstep her loyalty to her masters; though she doesn't enjoy punishing Demetri, she intends to anyways because she has been ordered to.

"But so far it feels like we are lacking any real, personal motive for Demetri to resist."

-Yeah, there isn't really a personal motive for Demetri to leave the Volturi. He doesn't even understand himself why he's so attracted to her; I mainly based it off of one of Edward's comments, when he mentioned imprinting in one of the books. Something along the lines of "nearly as strong a bond as ours (his and Bella's)" or something. So I'm running blood-singers along the trail of imprinting; he's simply drawn to her. I'll probably dig into it later a little better.

" I wonder if there was a reason you chose to narrate 3rd person rather than letting Demetri just speak for himself?"

-There is. I like 3d person, haha, it gives me so much elbow room! I can switch to the Cullens or even to Autumn, and the scenes are mine to transfer and tangle. It allows so much more space to capture the full image of what is going on, from everyone's side, that I cannot resist the ease of a third-person write.

"I thought your dialogue was a tad... American, but then how would I know how teenagers talk in Italy?"

-Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I'm American, and I'm not going to butcher the idea of Italian chatspeak with wikipedia-search 'Italian chatspeak.' I sort of fumbled along the idea that Autumn is in fact American-born, but moved to Italy a few years back. I believe I mentioned a father in Florida a few chapters back? Anyways. it sweeps up the language issues nicely (though I'm sure all the vampires speak it fluently), for her interaction with the American werewolves and people. I hate having to mangle countries and themes together, but it's better than mangling the language and struggling through translations that will inevitably fail.

"but not much sense that the only people Demetri would have to contend with would be Jane and Felix. I rather got the impression from Meyer's books that the Volturi had a rather large group of loyal fighters."

-Well, the only people he HAD to fight would be Jane and Felix. Jane was the only one who witnessed his escape, thanks to Demetri's flawless tracking ability, and Felix was sent to kill Autumn, so he would have to meet him in order to save her. Demetri was feeling angry, yes, but not stupid enough to risk a killing spree when Autumn was in such danger. Anyways, I was under the impression that Demetri was one of the best fighters, so I only matched him up with vampires of his own rank.

Andrea, I loved your reviews, they were chapter-by-chapter heaven, and I dearly hope to earn some more! I am not upset by criticism at all, I just realized that a few of your comments might be shared by other readers, and gave you the cred for bringing them up. THANK YOU! And if you have any more questions or comments, be sure to leave them in review-form!

But if you don't like me pasting your comments into my pre-chapter yuck, feel free to leave a little sticky-note in the review, lol.

And I'm really, REALLY sorry, but the situation is going to get Edward/Bella/Jacob-ish for a little bit. I promise promise promise, though, that it will change! I have the plot already played out in my head, I swear!! It's very much un-edbelcob.

Something was noticeable different in the air, but Demetri didn't question it. He was too satisfied, too relieved, to bother with trivial irritations. The Cullens were an interesting bunch to watch. They interacted with people frequently, and carried out 'normal,' almost human family functions. They played and laughed and sang and danced; Demetri was confused. His coven, the Volturi, had never been like this. This new coven was like a gaggle of children.

But in the night, when the humans slept, they planned and discussed and plotted. Demetri did not intrude, he merely stood in the background as they argued their points and their various strategies. They obviously had experience in fights like this, and were quite a capable group.

Demetri almost enjoyed watching them, until they started to include him.

"Look, it doesn't even matter! Why should we go after them? What's the rush? All he have to do it wait for them to come to us! With Alice and Demetri on our side, they've completely lost the element of surprise. We have plenty of time, time enough that Autumn might become old enough to change." Demetri looked up, startled, at the eight pairs of gold eyes watching him. Not only was he startled that they had brought him up, but that they were banking on the fact that Autumn would want to be a vampire. He didn't like to think about it; lost hope was the bitterest of pain. But he had hardly a second to react before Jasper cut in.

"Yes, they've lost the element of surprise, but we can't wait for them to come to us. They'll have created a foolproof plan if we give them the time, and I doubt that Autumn's transformation will change their anger towards a traitor. And who want the Volturi in Forks? We need to hit now, and fast, while they're lost on strategy." Jasper sat back, his numerous scars casting deep shadows across his jaw. Alice leaned forward, her brow furrowed.

"Well, it's not like they're a real threat anymore. They've lost their tracker, and Alec and Jane are literally useless against us. As are Chelsea, Aro, and Renata. So far, all they have on us is number, while we carry the vast majority in talent. They'd be hard-pressed to find a plan that we can't puncture. Don't forget, I can see anything they're plotting."

The discussions went on for several nights. Demetri eventually got tired of listening to the same ideas and points over and over, and soon preferred to watch Autumn sleep.

Of course, his diet did not go undisputed. It wasn't long before one of the members confronted him. It was little Alice, the most fragile-looking of the bunch, who faced off with tall, lean Demetri. It was almost comical to see her, leaning up on her toes, her slender arms crossed as she glared at him. He didn't like the idea of giving up human blood, when he had fed off of humans for so long, but he didn't have much choice. They were doing so much for him and for his humans that it seemed tiny in comparison to lighten his diet. They finally reached an agreement; he could have one human every three weeks, but only animal blood in between, and he couldn't hunt within a hundred miles of Forks. He knew that they hoped that he could quit human blood altogether, but he didn't exactly warm to the idea; once Autumn was a vampire, he wouldn't need to worry about such trivial things as vegetarianism.

And Autumn truly was enjoying herself, as much as she might try to deny it. Luckily for Alice, she also had a passion for clothes, and would spend hours shopping with Alice and trying on new things. Demetri went along, of course, just to be with her. She seemed to like having him around, and took advantage of having a man's opinion in what she was wearing. Demetri, of course, gave her a watered-down idea of what she looked like. If he told her that he wanted to throw her to the floor and tear those lovely clothes from her body, he was pretty sure that she'd be more than a little spooked. So he just told her that she looked beautiful; the bare minimum, of course.

Eve was the new family doll. Everyone liked her pretty dark hair and her gray eyes, and had much fun in playing with her and taking her on walks, especially Rosalie, who had a soft spot for children. All in all, the two humans were treated like queens.

The only dark spot was Autumn's attachment to the wolves.

He didn't like how often she went out with them, on walks or to their homes, and how comfortable she was becoming with them. He was struck by cold, deep jealousy when they hugged her and laughed with her, and especially with the youngest of the pack. Seth, the gangly, sandy-colored wolf, had an odd attraction to her. Demetri could easily assume that it was closer to an obsession, and he nursed a smoldering hatred for the young wolf. Autumn always watched the strutting mongrel with admiring eyes, and smiled whenever he was in the vicinity.

One day, sitting across from Autumn at the foot of her bed as she read one of the many books from the Cullens' library, he decided to touch upon the subject, though it was really only the tip of an iceberg. He could hardly control his voice; Autumn had just been on a walk with Seth, and had returned cheerful and smiling. Demetri was relieved that he didn't smell the wolf in concentrated areas, such as her hands or her lips. It was usually an all-around aura, though, whenever she was with him.

"You've been hanging around with the dogs a lot," Demetri said quietly, and Autumn laughed. She blushed a delightful pink and wrinkled her nose at Demetri.

"So? What's wrong with that, are you jealous?" she teased, running her finger up the bottom of his foot, sending electric tingles up his leg. Demetri didn't smile, though. His gaze was steady and calculating. Autumn's smile faded slowly.

"You know I am," he murmured, and Autumn looked down, one hand twisting her hair. She did that when she was anxious, Demetri had noticed. It was humanly endearing. She looked back up, her expression pained.

"Demetri, you know I do like you. I do! But...they reach me on a different level. They're human, like me. They're warm, they eat human food, they play like humans...you mean a lot to me, but you don't complete me. All of you, all together, make me happy." Demetri wasn't pleased with her analysis. She had pointed out all of his shortcoming, all of his flaws, and finished it by telling him that he didn't complete her. Angry with himself and her, he took her small feet in his hands. They were so warm, so small...the fire burned in his throat again. His diet of animal-blood was bringing back the raging thirst he always felt in her presence.

But...Edward had said that he was growing on her. Maybe she felt just enough pull towards him that he could meet her halfway. He reached out and took her hands.

"Come here," he said softly, pulling her towards him. She smiled a little and wiggled forward until her legs were draped over his and loosely around his waist. Cautiously, slowly, he leaned forward and kissed her gently. She didn't exactly respond, but she didn't resist either, and that was enough. He kissed her slowly, reaching up to stroke her face and brush through her dark red hair. Slowly, slowly, she responded, synchronizing her lips with his, and reaching up to grasp the hand that caressed her neck.

Elated, but distracted by the agonizing burning in his throat and the idea of going too fast, he pulled back, his eyes smouldering and his lips curved up into a little smile. She was breathing rather hard and blushing only a little, and her eyes sparkled. She took his cold hands into her smaller, warmer ones, and they sat together for a few minutes. Demetri could drink her in forever. But his fiery throat reminded him of his other needs.

He stood, and she stood with him. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly before heading for the door. Autumn tagged behind him, until they reached the forest edge. Demetri turned to face her, smiling.

"You can't come with me," he chuckled, though pleased that she wanted to. "It's dangerous." Autumn rolled her beautiful gray eyes.

"Wow, danger, that's something new. I've never experienced life-threatening moments with a hungry vampire! How horrifying!" she gasped mockingly, reaching up and brushing back her wonderfully fragrant hair. Demetri breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent despite his raging thirst. He sighed.

"You're not coming," he said firmly, turning and striding into the forest. He heard Autumn grumble behind him.

"Fine, I'll just go hang out with Seth, then." She hadn't meant for him to hear it, and she didn't even say it spitefully, but red flooded Demetri's vision, and he snarled harshly. Autumn jumped, realizing that he had heard her, and Demetri was standing before her again in a fraction of a second. She stumbled several hasty steps back, which he quickly made up for in two long strides. He towered over her, his teeth bared and his eyes savage.

"You will not," the words ripped from his throat, and Autumn flinched once before getting angry. She stood tall, as tall as her five-foot-four frame would allow her, and glared into the red eyes of a raging vampire.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want to! You're not going to order me around," ground Autumn through her teeth, and Demetri snarled again, at a loss for words. His hands shook as he held his violent anger back, a sharp likeness to the werewolf's transformation. And it would take so little for Demetri to turn into a feral beast.

"You want me to stay away? Make me." Her words drove the dagger home. Demetri went cold, his eyes nearly black and his dispassionate mask in place. Autumn caught her breath at the change. Who was this? Was this how everyone else saw him, why everyone else avoided him? His lethal glare was chilling, and she wanted to run. But she stood her ground. By now, the rest of the coven was hovering around them, tense and ready to stop a confrontation. Even a few wolves paced by the edges of the forest, on the other side of the wide river. Their presence infuriated Demetri further.

"Hunt with me," said Demetri quietly, and a few in the circle gasped, but said nothing. They waited with baited breath for Autumn's reply. Her eyes clouded as she quickly digested the new material. She took a step back, suspicious.

"Why?" she asked guardedly, and Demetri gave her a vicious smile that made her spine tingle. He took a well-placed step closer, catching a lock of her hair around his fingers, drawing her in. She shivered; she didn't like this Demetri.

"You want to watch, don't you? You should know why you're lucky, why you're so fortunate to tickle my fancy. And I don't want you around that mongrel. So it's win-win, isn't it?" he purred, tilting his head to gaze fondly at her. But she shuddered at his cold eyes. Unable to bear it, Alice jumped in, her voice shaking with anger.

"Stop it, Demetri. This is dangerous, you're thirsty, she might get killed," growled Alice, her golden eyes flashing. "And getting Autumn killed won't help either of you."

"Demetri, you can't do it. You won't be able to handle yourself. Believe me, it's so much harder when you're hunting," said Edward fiercely, starting forward. But Jasper threw out a hand, catching his disbelieving brother. The usually silent Cullen spoke up.

"This isn't our business. It's Demetri's right to offer, and Autumn's right to accept or deny." They were quiet for a second, but Edward spoke again, more softly this time.

"But she has to know." He turned to Autumn. "Hunting is a natural, necessary thing for us. If you're going to hang around vampires, it might be helpful to get used to the subject. But it's also extremely dangerous. If you run, if you make any kind of motion, or even if he just remembers that you're there, you could just as easily be killed. More easily, I think, because of his draw to your blood. It's a stupid, rash idea, it's too dangerous."

Autumn stood, staring into Demetri's thirst-blackened eyes. He smiled sweetly.

"I'll never hurt you," he swore, running his hand down her cheek. She closed her eyes and thought long and hard. When she opened them again, they were resolved.

"Okay. I'm coming with you."

The vampire coven had come along for safety reasons, but were spread in a wide range around them. Though Rosalie ran to his north-west and Carlisle was directly south, he couldn't really see either of them, they were too far and covered by the forest brush.

Demetri carried Autumn on his back. He heard her breath catch in the thrill of the run; she was really learning to enjoy the speed. He liked it when she had fun. He liked making her happy. He knew he would never hurt her, that he was beyond that. He was the strongest, most in-control member of the Volturi, and it would pay off today.

He slowed until he was a little behind the others; they slowed, too, but not by much. Eventually, he loped to a stop, letting Autumn slide from his back. If he turned on her, Edward, Alice, Jasper, and probably Bella would know immediately. Bella was almost always around Edward, so she was in on everything to do with him. Demetri had never understood that until now. If they were half as obsessed with each other as Demetri was with Autumn, it wasn't surprising.

"Alright, milady, what's on the menu?" he teased as she landed gracefully on the soft moss covering the ground. Rare beams of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, and Demetri's face glittered under a stray glow. Autumn scowled and slapped his face gently, her hand lingering on his smooth skin. He reached his hand up to cover hers.

"Not people," she said darkly, and he rolled his eyes and laughed. Of course not people. He didn't think he could hunt and kill a human with Autumn anywhere nearby. The thought alone would terrify her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was a herd of mule deer a few miles northeast, and wolves to the west. Way ahead, much farther north, was a moose. He relayed the choices to her, and she grinned, a little excited. She seemed to have forgotten the fight; Demetri was eager to hunt, and his enthusiasm was contagious.

"I'd like to see you take down a wolf," giggled Autumn, her light gray eyes shining. Demetri gave her a devilish grin, enjoying the hint that she probably didn't realized that she had given, and swung her back onto his back. He took off running.

All of a sudden, he was aware of a new company. A grimy, sweaty scent was carried in the wind, and he distinctly heard the sound of heavy paws tearing up the thick, lush carpet of moss. Baring his teeth in a silent snarl, he picked up his pace. Autumn's arms tightened around his neck, questioning his speed, but he didn't slow. He just didn't have the patience to deal with Jacob's pups at the moment.

He caught up with the wild wolves before the pack of more dangerous, much larger wolves could get near. He slowed to his hunting stalk, for Autumn's benefit, and allowed her to slip from his back. Her mouth-watering aroma nearly made him turn back, but he kept his focus on the animals in front of him. Autumn made his primal instincts nearly whip him around and leap at her, but it wasn't hard to keep his concentration on the wolves. He just needed something to kill.

And kill he did. Launching himself into the air, he came down silently and with deadly force. Breaking the neck of one wolf and crushing his hand into the back of another, he finished the two before the rest of the pack got to the end of the clearing. He drained three wolves without a single drop spilled onto his white button-down shirt.

Well, the mongrel horde had to catch up sometime. Hot breath and low growls alerted his defenses, and he saw five wolves standing, hackles up, between himself and Autumn. She was watching with wide, frightened eyes. Demetri slowly straightened from his crouch, running his hand across his mouth and calming himself. Autumn visibly relaxed when she saw the control come back into his expression. The anger, though, he couldn't hide.

"Hello, Jacob, Leah, Embry, Quil...Seth," he hissed, his eyes narrowing. The brush of feet around the clearing, and he knew that several others had returned. His mind told him that it was Jasper and Edward, hanging nearby to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. And, of course, he wouldn't. "Nice to know I'm being monitored. Dare I ask what this was about?"

Edward stepped from the edge of the clearing, his expression worried. He spoke for Jacob in a cold, indifferent voice.

"This was dangerous and stupid. Why would you consider taking Autumn on a hunt? It's a serious threat to her life and, quite frankly, to her sanity." Demetri bared his teeth and took a few steps forward. The wolves bristled, but did not back down. The light gray female bared her own fangs and gave a ferocious snarl.

"This isn't of your concern," snapped Demetri, his eyes flashing. "I'm no child; I've been testing my control for decades. She was never in any danger. Anyways, Edward and Jasper would have known if I'd even considered turning around." The sandy wolf cast a glance towards its leader, the deep brown wolf, Jacob.

"It is of our concern," began Edward, but he suddenly stopped. He cast an odd glance towards Jacob, but started again as if nothing happened. "The preservation of human life is always our concern. We thought there might be danger here, but there wasn't. Our apologies." The brown wolf reacted strangely to Edward. A growl rumbled in his throat, and his eyes narrowed; Demetri thought that Edward must have buttered the apology a bit, but a deeper suspicion ate at him. And he didn't like the way that the sandy wolf stood so close to Autumn. He couldn't stop a low snarl when she smiled and stroked the reeking fur around his face.

Demetri strode forward, breaking the ranks of the instantly defensive wolves. He took Autumn's hand and lifted her, casting the sandy wolf one last, withering look before taking off into the forest.

She was quiet as he raced along an unseen forest path. He didn't know where he went, but he was drawn away from those wolves like a magnet. He ran until he reached a small, enclosed grove, carpeted by moss and surrounded by warm, close-growing trees. He stopped here, setting Autumn on the soft moss and sitting across from her. There wasn't much growth here, and sunlight filled the small area, setting his skin sparkling like a million diamonds.

He closed his eyes; Edward and Jasper were meeting back with the females. The wolf pack was pacing restlessly around the area in which they had left. Renesmee slept back at the house, and the Volturi were all in Volterra. He was completely, totally, and utterly alone with her. He opened his eyes; they had started to turn muddy brown, as a result of the combined human and animal blood. But Autumn thought them much more lovely than their former scarlet.

He couldn't think of what to say. He was ashamed, proud, angry, and achingly curious all at once. A million questions burned at him, but he didn't know how to open them. Autumn seemed to grasp his wordless agony. She smiled a little and took his hands.

"That was...wow," she said breathlessly, and relief punctured Demetri's worries like a blade. "I must say, 'Animal Planet' is going to have quite a hard time entertaining me now that I've seen a real hunt." Her eyes were wide and excited, but her face was chalky white. Demetri's burning throat was hushed by the wolf's blood, and though her warmth spread through the small, green enclosure, he could bear it almost easily. As long as he didn't breathe too much.

"Why do you like Seth so much?" murmured Demetri, not bothering to veil his question. Autumn frowned, but didn't pull away or yell. She was thoughtful for a moment; she could see how much it bothered him. "Why aren't you as comfortable with me?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "he's just...more open, warmer...not physically, I mean his personality. I like you, but I have to work for it. I'm not drawn to you naturally. That's what it is, I guess. It's unnatural. I feel like it's against my...purpose to be around you. I feel like I'm not supposed to be here." She touched his stunningly faceted face. She stroked his cheek tenderly and continued.

"But, you're so different from what I expected. You've changed, or maybe me. It feel wrong to be around you, but it feel right, too. I can't explain it. Your nature is dark, and I know what Edward thinks. He thinks I avoid the dangerous, that I follow the path of the morally healthy." Autumn laughed once. "But...maybe I like the dark. Well, now. Because I certainly didn't like you before. But it's not like I thought it was. You're dangerous, but not. You're wrong for me, but also right. You're a vampire...but so human. So, even though my whole being tells me to avoid you, I just can't."

Not satisfied with her answer, but placated, Demetri leaned forward and kissed her. Autumn smiled against his lips and leaned back a little, her cheeks glowing faintly.

"See? I just watched you take down three wolves and suck their blood, and the hair on my neck is shivering, and I feel like I should run...but I'll be damned if I could find a better kisser than you!" She threw her arm around his neck, laughing, and together they sank into the rich green moss that devoured the forest.

"It's dangerous. It's too risky," said Edward, standing with Jacob in the living room. Jacob was on edge, his eyes wild and his hands clenched. Seth sat on the couch, his sister Leah next to him. She stood, angry.

"The leech is right. This is going to get Seth hurt! Seth or that girl," snarled Leah, her eyes filled with contempt. Seth opened his mouth furiously, but didn't have any time to cut in.

"But we can't leave, and it's going to be found out anyways! If we leave, Seth will never be himself again. You know what it's like," Jacob pleaded with Edward, whose expression didn't budge. "and if we stay, either he has to go or we work this out."

"It's not fair to him. I've been in his head. He's changing; he's not loyal to the Volturi anymore, Autumn is all he has. Autumn is all he cares about. If we take her from him...he's going to exact his revenge. Is death so much better than lost love?" Edward didn't need to answer his own question, but he prayed that Seth might not feel the same. But the muted agony in the young man's eyes drowned his hopes.

"What about the little one? Eve?" barked Jacob, desperately searching for a loophole. Edward shook his head sorrowfully. He didn't like the situation any more than the others did.

"Eve is only alive at the whim of her sister. The moment Autumn is out of his life...she is as welcome a victim as any." It was quiet. They were all listening to the two sleeping girls upstairs. Renesmee, in Edward and Bella's room, and Eve, in Alice and Jasper's room. Their lives, so fragile...they could end with a single fight.

"She doesn't have to love me," insisted Seth desperately, his brow furrowed. "She can love Demetri, and still be my friend. I just...I can't leave her!" Edward lifted a hand towards Seth.

"See? He struggles to make it through the day without her. How can he be around her like this? He's forcing her into a position to choose; to be a bloodsinger, or an imprint? Either way, it's going to be bloody. Demetri isn't going to take this sitting down." Frustrated, he began to pace. Jacob growled low in his throat.

"Yes, he struggles to make it through a day. If we leave, how much better could it get? Seth has been a loyal friend for years, while this Demetri has been your enemy for longer. He walks in, with a human who he has no claim to, and suddenly he's part of the family? Get rid of him, Autumn would be happier with Seth. She doesn't have to change, she doesn't have to suffer; she's already attached to him. It would be so easy." Edward began to say something, but was cut off by Jasper, who had walked in from the kitchen where Esme and Carlisle cooked breakfast for Autumn and Eve, whenever Autumn came back and Eve woke up. Demetri and Autumn had been missing all night.

"How do you expect us to get rid of Demetri? If we kill him, Autumn will be devastated. He's done nothing to deserve death. And he's stronger than many of us, and you, and will prove a challenge. Not even Edward knows how old he really is. But, he's old enough to have lost all human memories, and even his early vampire memories. He may very well be centuries old. If we tell him to leave, he goes back to the Volturi, and his grief and anger would be enough to incite an act of revenge from his Italian masters. Demetri is extremely dangerous to our existence. As long as he lives, we will never be secure. But if he is on our side, we stand a chance, and the Italians are in a deadlock," said Jasper quietly, his gold eyes glowing. "And Demetri is no newborn. We don't know how long he's been alive, his past is even a mystery for Aro. But we know he's a lethal weapon to the Volturi, and not just for his skill in tracking. He's not to be played with."

They were silent for a few minutes, listening to the ancient grandfather clock mark the seconds. Seth started to rise, his dark eyes worried.

"Autumn's been gone a long time, I should..."

"Sit down, Seth," the room chorused.

'I truly am a pedophile.'

At the moment, it didn't really matter. All that mattered was that he was curled in the warm arms of a heavenly green enclosure, and his blood-singer, his 'la tua cantante', lay in his arms, fast asleep.

Oh, they hadn't done anything. She was too young, and he could wait. He was content to hold her as she fell asleep, fantasizing about nights like this a few years in the future. The trees here were smooth, and the moss was soft. It was a perfect place, untouched, untainted. Demetri let his mind wander for a while. As usual, it instinctively traced the slender psychic lines that connected to thousands.

The Cullens were back at the house, as well as the dogs. Odd, they were all gathered together, in the living room, with some moving back and forth to the kitchen. The young ones slept in the upstairs rooms. Demetri felt suspicious, but not enough to rouse Autumn. It was something he could deal with later. He touched a few other threads...

Demetri froze. He stopped breathing in the rich scent of the earth and of Autumn's hair, his eyes stopped catching the glimmers of the light, his hands stopped straying along Autumn's arm.

Felix, Chelsea, her husband Afton, and Corin were all moving across the ocean, towards America. Jesus Christ...

He quickly scooped Autumn's motionless body into his stony arms and took off towards the house.

It was only a few seconds before he reached the house. The Cullens were already standing outside, their eyes anxious; Edward had gotten the news before Demetri had arrived, and had immediately relayed it to his family. Demetri noted bitterly that the dogs stood mingled with the Cullens. He bared his teeth in a warning snarl, and though the gray female answered it with a growl, the rest got the message and kept their distance. But when Seth came forward to take the sleeping girl from him he hissed harshly through his teeth. Seth's arms dropped and he scrambled backwards from the hostile vampire.

"Th-"

Carlisle only got half a word out before something stirred in the forest. Immediately, all of the vampires bunched together, Demetri in the middle, and the wolves leapt to the front. Something was coming. Demetri racked his mind for a thread, but nothing came up. Heart in his throat, he held Autumn tighter. But he was ready to drop her should danger approach. He couldn't fight with her in his arms.

Then, a vampire stumbled from the forest. A perfectly average, brown-haired, brown-eyed, five-foot-nine vampire male, about sixteen or seventeen in age. His eyes were wide with apprehension, but there was no surprise; he knew exactly what would be waiting for him. He didn't even seem surprised by the dozen or so giant wolves that stalked around the tightly packed group of hostile vampires. He smiled a little and waved. They waited until he was just outside the circle of wolves to snarl warningly. He stopped.

"Hi, I'm Josh," he said evenly, not flinching when one of the bigger wolves, Sam, stepped forward and sniffed him gingerly. A harsh snarl, long, bared teeth, and it wasn't hard to translate. Josh reeked of Volturi. A wind blew from the forest, and they all could smell it. Demetri could pick out the individual scents, but who they were surprised him a little. Not Aro or Caius or Marcus...but the group coming his way, Felix, Chelsea, Afton, and Corin. He was shocked at first, but relaxed. Maybe Aro had called to instruct them to send a young vampire ahead.

But...it had to have been done ahead of time, because they were still very far. And, from the odd look on Alice's face, it had somehow slipped into a loophole. He would know, later, when they had time to discuss it.

"I've been sent ahead as a warning. Demetri, give up and return with me, or you'll face death. The others are coming now to destroy you if you don't. They said to forget the human and to return home, everything will be forgiven." Demetri was snarling quietly throughout the whole statement. He only raised the volume a little at the end so the kid could catch the gist of his decision. It didn't take long.

Josh smiled sweetly.

"Well, I'm not here to force anyone. Just delivering the message." He turned and began walking slowly back towards the forest, but no matter how relaxed he appeared, neither the Cullens nor the wolves let down their guards. He stopped, suddenly, and turned again towards the Cullens, still grinning widely.

"Oh, by the way...some interesting secrets ya'll got going on there. Demetri...watch out for Edward. You're dangling on a life-or-death option, buddy. No winners." He laughed and sprinted into the forest, disappearing from sight. Everyone was silent for a moment. Then, the clearing burst into life.

The first thing that happened was that nearly all the werewolves transformed back into humans simultaneously. The cold, suspicious silence was bad enough without half-dressed, howling dogs running amok. Demetri backed slowly from the grouped Cullens, holding Autumn closer as she stirred from the racket the wolves were making.

"I didn't see them...I didn't see him coming," whispered Alice, horrified, wrapped in Jasper's arms. Edward's brow was furrowed.

"I didn't pick up his mind. He must be very talented, to be able to keep his mind absolutely blank...he must have been warned. Demetri didn't see him either. They've dug out a blind spot, a secret..." he was murmuring, pacing like a caged tiger. Carlisle and Esme were talking too quietly to hear, off by themselves in a corner near the house. The wolves were still barking questions and comments and general nonsense, but one thing stood crystal clear in Demetri's mind, something that Edward had mentioned. Secrets...

"Speaking of secrets," he said in a low, dangerous voice; almost everyone stopped pacing and looked up. No one replied for a moment. Autumn twisted in his arms, confused and concerned. He felt her warm touch brush his face, but didn't look down. His burgundy eyes were fixed coldly on the mind-reader. Edward didn't exactly flinch, but his expression was uncomfortable nonetheless.

"Demetri, now isn't the best time..." said Carlisle carefully, but Demetri bared his teeth in a snarl. Suddenly, he felt his anger, his mistrust, fade quickly into a dull, frustrating calm. He turned to glare at Jasper and tried to resist the conflicting change in mood. He couldn't. Jasper took a step forward, and the unspoken words were clear. Calm down, before I have to hurt you. Demetri snorted. As if he was scared of this bunch.

"What's going on? Demetri? Jasper?" grumbled Autumn in a rusty, morning voice.

The calm that hit Demetri was no work of Jasper. He sank into cool, blissful oblivion as soon as she spoke, relief that he had her for the moment. That he held her, not Seth. That the danger had yet to strike. He stroked her face gently.

"You're fine. You're going to be fine. We're just going to get some...visitors, soon. Nothing for you to worry over. Not yet," he amended, but she didn't notice. Her worried gaze swept over the rest of the Cullens and the wolves, finally returning to his. He struggled against Jasper's control, trying to convince himself that he needed to get away. To run, forever, keeping miles and miles in between Autumn and the Volturi. He would do it, too, if not for this ridiculous sense of security washing over him in waves. He glared as Jasper, unable to make his gaze as ferocious as he would have liked. Jasper didn't glower back; he simply stared with a sort of passive blankness.

Forcing his body to move, despite his calm, took all the effort he had. Miraculously, he took another. Autumn was already in his arms; he didn't need to escape, he only needed to be free of the others, for the moment. Trying to trick his own emotions, his own body, he broke into a run. He didn't get far. Fear hit him with the force of a wrecking ball, not making sense at all, but overcoming his conscious reactions nonetheless. Terror, sheer, paralyzing terror crippled him, and he dropped to his knees, shaking. Jasper was at his side in an instant, and the ridiculous fear was gone. But he didn't try to run again.

He accepted Jasper's hand, even though he didn't need it to get up. It was a sign of peace, an apology for what was necessary. For him. Demetri knew that Jasper acted only in the best interests of his mate, the fragile-looking young vampire. The rest of the family looked shocked, even horrified, but Demetri laughed darkly. As intimidating as Jasper was, it seemed that he was the most underestimated of the group. Even Edward looked ruffled.

Jasper had so much in common with Demetri that it was almost funny. But one thing set them apart; no one ever made the mistake of underestimating Demetri.

Eying the young werewolf who gazed longingly at Autumn, who was shocked stiff in his arms, he marked the exception.

Sorry it took so long...there was a lot about this chapter I didn't like.

But a lot that I DO like :)

so enjoy and review, please!!