Salem was under the impression that she and her siblings, along with Bella and Salem's guard, would be taking another uncomfortable and packed commercial flight back to Seattle. She was very wrong. They boarded a large SUV, driven by Felix, and headed away from the protection of the Volturi after she said her goodbyes to Aro. She sat in between Alice and Edward, with Bella on Edwards right. Jane and Dmitri took the seat behind them and somehow sitting between them wasn't very appealing. It was uncomfortable to say the least, but she wasn't volunteering to sit in the back with the red-eyed vampires.

The entire drive was silent, which only made it feel longer than it was. No one dared breathe a word for the hour or so they were packaged into the car like sardines. With each mile that took her further and further from the heart of Volterra, the more intense a sharp pain that had blossomed in her chest became. She knew immediately that it was her bodies way of telling her she needed to go back to the safety and comfort of her mates. She would have been lying if she said that she wasn't tempted to tell Felix to turn around or to pull out her phone and call all of them to come get her, but she didn't. Her mates were being strong and giving her time to get her life in order and she had to honor their sacrifice and do just that.

When they finally stopped and the doors were opened, they all piled out and Salem found herself in what looked to be a small, private airfield in front of the largest jet she had ever seen. Alice giggled behind her as they marched up the stairs to board the vessel. Her sister was obviously excited to see what luxuries awaited them. It was just like Alice to make light of the situation. A few humans stood at the entrance of the plane with smiles. They were dressed in the typical red and black Volturi uniforms she had seen the human employees wear back at the castle. They bowed and Salem shot them a nervous smile as she passed into the large cabin that awaited them. Her first thought was that it was the definition of wasted money. Two long white loves seats spanned the sides of the jet. Televisions hung from the walls in several areas and a refreshment area was also present. The interior was sophisticated and beautifully decorated, but it intimated her. One wrong move with her clumsy self and she could break something worth thousands.

Her three guard members boarded behind a little while after them. Dmitri shot one of the human women a predatory smile as he passed and Salem shivered. Edward and Bella slid past her and sat on one of the long pieces of furniture. Alice found a place on the couch opposite of them and Salem made herself move from the door of the Jet over towards her sister. Before she could make herself comfortable, Jane was striding towards her.

"The masters informed me that you still need rest. I'll escort you to your private quarters where your things were delivered."

It may have sounded like a request, but Salem knew it was a command. She looked at Edward who just gave her a tiny nod. With a nervous humbling of her hands, she turned and followed the tiny blonde vampire past both Felix and Dmitri to a closed off room. The door slid open and she stepped in behind Jane as the light flickered on.

If she thought the main cabin had been nice, it was nothing compared to the room before her. It was spacious, with a giant California king sized bed at the very center. A desk sat on one side and a door to what she presumed was a bathroom was on the other. She took a few more steps inside and turned towards Jane. She couldn't help the prickle of unease that told her she didn't belong there.

"Are you sure I won't be a bother here? I can stay with my brother and sister if that would be easier," she offered. The vampire simply raised one of her perfect eyebrows and a small smile curled her lips upward.

"You will stay here until we land. Is there anything you require before I take my leave, mistress?" Salem frowned but shook her head no. "Enjoy your flight. Simply call for us should you run into any problems or have any questions."

The next time she blinked, Jane was no where to be found and the door was being shut with a slight click. Finally alone for the first time in what seemed like forever, she took a deep, calming breath and her hand reached for her back pocket. She slid the cool body of her phone into her hand and unlocked it with a swipe of her thumb. She noticed that it was still set to stock settings and made a mental note to transfer all of her information from her old phone once she got home. Walking towards the bed, she couldn't help but notice the white bag sitting there along with the folded up form of her blanket. She picked it up at the same time a knock interrupted her from the door. It slid open before she had a chance to call out for them to enter to reveal the form of Dmitri.

"It's time for takeoff, mistress. Please buckle in while we get in the air." He gestured to the chair beside the desk.

She realized then that the chair was bolted in and had straps attached. She nodded and headed towards it, sitting with the blanket in her lap. She found that the fabric still smelled like her mates and the comfort that their scent gave her almost scared her a bit. If she were any less mentally stable than she was, she'd bag the blanket up so that her scent wouldn't make theirs fade. Her hands shook as she humbled with the seat belt and secured it. Not a full minute later, she felt the powerful engines start as the plane powered up. They moved slowly at first before building up speed and the moment the jet left the ground, her hands were gripping the armrests and she was cursing at the shaky entry into the atmosphere.

"This is normal. There is no reason for you to be afraid. I spoke with the Captain and he says we should have a smooth flight to America," the vampire told her. All she could manage was a small nod of her head. It was obvious that the vampire found her fear of flying amusing and she wanted nothing more than to be able to slap the cocky grin from his face.

Eventually, the plane evened out and Dmitri nodded once to let her know it was safe to unlatch her seat belt. She did so with trembling hands and thanked the vampire before he left her to her thoughts. She made her way back over to the bed and emptied the bag. The laptop slid out first and she sat it to the side. A drawing tablet followed and she wondered momentarily on how exactly her mates had gotten her the exact model she wanted, but immediately remembered that Aro would know everything about her. He would know everything she had ever thought. Every secret she had, every desire, was his now. The thought shook her up a bit inside.

A couple of books which she realized were her favorites followed. She picked up what was so obviously an older copy of Pride and Prejudice. She stroked the binding and instantly knew that Marcus had sent them with her. She opened it and as her eyes scanned over the first couple of pages, a squeak left her lips and the book fell onto the bed in in front of her. She picked it back up quickly, pulling it close to her chest. The novel was a first edition! There was no telling how much it was worth! She picked up the other two classic novels and found the same could be said about them. The last book looked to be in a bit better condition and when she turned it over, her heart stuttered.

The book was worn from use and quite large. Her fingers trailed down the cover, her fingertips running over the cool metal plating that made up the cover. Like the others, she opened it but knew better than to look for an edition number. This book wasn't as nearly as valuable as the others, but it meant the most to her. A few page turns later and a hand painted image of a tall tower set in the country side came into view. A princess stood in the window, her long golden hair braided and thrown down the side of of her tower to trail all the way down to the bottom. In beautiful calligraphy the word 'Rapunzel' was scripted above the painting and on the next page, the tale started with a long paragraph that she could recite word for word.

The book was one Marcus had read to her when she did well in her studies as a child. Even though she was only able to spend her dreams with them, they had insisted a month into her dream sharing to start educating her. It had become apparent that since Salem didn't known where 'The Man' was holding her captive that a quick rescue wasn't going to be possible. Since she had stopped going to school when her mother died and 'The Man' ended up with custody of her, her mates had become concerned and Marcus had taken up the task of helping her learn and catch back up with where she needed to be for a child of her age. When the Cullen's had finally saved her, she was still a bit behind and with how fragile she had been at first, they had taken to home schooling her, which was perfectly fine with her. She was used to it.

She gently closed the book and brought it up to her chest, hugging it close for a moment. There were dozens of tales to choose from and Salem had heard them all a thousand times over. Each was dear to her and the man who had read them to her to her was even more so. Her three vampires had already given her so much back, things that she thought she'd never see again. She sat it down beside the other books he had sent her and continued through the bag.

There were sketch pads, and pencils, as well as a few other art supplies. Thankfully, besides that, there was nothing else. She adored all of the gifts, but she was going to have to put her foot down on them spending money needlessly on her. The laptop and phone were nice things to have, but she hadn't needed them. Well, now that she thought about it, her computer at home took thirty minuets to boot up and technically she was still carrying around an almost ten year old phone so the gifts weren't completely reckless purchases. No matter what, she was thankful and the next time she talked to her three vampires she was going to make sure they knew it.

She packed away almost everything inside her bag, but kept out a novel to read. She pulled it open and settled back onto the bed, almost groaning with how comfortable it was. Opening the first page, she began to read but found her thoughts too erratic to pay much attention to the actual words her eyes were skimming over. She ended up re-reading the first couple of sentences before giving up and replacing the book with drawing pad. She opened a new container of utensils and choose a piece of loose charcoal before her hand came down on the piece of sketch paper.

She found the activity much more stimulating and she was able to think at the same time as her hand guided her movements. The black piece of mineral glided over the material effortlessly and the movements calmed her enough that she willingly let her mind drift. She thought about how seeing her family was going to pan out.

Salem knew there would be repercussions. Her dad was no doubt going to be disappointed, as well as her mom. Rose and Emmett would be furious and Jasper would just be glad that she and Alice were home safe. Surprisingly, she found herself not too concerned about how angry they would be. There had been so many things that could have happened while in Italy. Edward could be dead, Bella could be dead, and even Alice and herself could be six feet under. Instead, the miracle that was her mate bond with the three Volturi kings had saved them all. Yes, they could be mad all they wanted, but she had accomplished what she had set out to do.

Salem was more upset that she hadn't even broached the topic of being their mates. All three of their mates. She had noticed that they hadn't brought it up outside of the throne room and she guessed they were attempting to give her room to process the information. As a child, the relationship between the four of them had been strong, but it had been strictly platonic. They were her guardians and she had been their ward. She had never quiet seen the men as father figures, thank god, but almost as best friends of sorts. In fact, once upon a time they had been exactly that. Her imaginary friends.

Things weren't the same same anymore though. She had grown up and was different around her vampires. She felt different around them. Salem had always been a shy girl and since she was home with her family most of the time, she'd never been asked out. She knew what romance was and she wholeheartedly believed in the notion of true love. She'd seen her parents together. She'd watched cliche romance movies just like any other girl her age. She even knew about sex, having had the 'talk' with Rose a few years back.

The problem was she hadn't ever truly imagined herself with anyone before. Well, maybe at one point in time when she had gotten a bit older, she had thoughts about Marcus... and Aro...and Caius. It had been all three, she realized, and she had never even thought twice about how strange that was. Now that she was thinking about it, when she had first realized they were real there had been something else that sprung to life within her besides the happiness of being able to see them again. It was a feeling she still wasn't ready to admit to having.

She sighed lowly and took her hand away from the paper in front of her. Her mouth dropped open a bit in shock as she stared into three pairs of eyes, eyes that looked very similar to the ones her vampires had. Before she could stop it, a little laugh left her mouth and she settled further into the comforter underneath her. Slowly, the lack of sleep she was suffering from began to catch up with her as she continued to work on her sketch and her eyelids grew heavy. She fought against it twice before her hand dropped the charcoal and she slumped back, falling asleep. This time when she woke, it was to Alice shaking her gently.

"They didn't want to risk scaring you by waking you up so they asked me to do it. We will land in twenty minutes," her sister explained gently. Alice's gaze lowered to the sketch pad that was still on the bed and she smirked at what she saw. When Salem caught on, she blushed and closed the book on the three faces looking back at her.

"There is no reason to be embarrassed Salem. I have to admit, they are total studs in person. If they weren't so terrifying, they'd be fantasy worthy."

For the first time in her life, Salem felt a rush of something that made her very uncomfortable and it even took her a moment to realize that it was jealousy. She had never been jealous of anything or anyone, especially not her family. They had given her everything, a new start in life and yet still her first thought was to snap at her sister and tell her to back off. Thankfully, she bit her lip before she could and thought a bit harder on how to respond.

" .Ha. You are so funny, Alice. Wait until I tell Jasper what you said," she threatened.

Alice's eyes grew wide with mock fear. "You wouldn't!"

No, Salem wouldn't, but Alice didn't have to know that. She giggled and sat up. Her sister left when Dmitri poked his head inside a few seconds later to find that Salem was awake. She stretched once the door was latched closed before gathering all her things and strapping into the same seat she had sat in as they took off. Minuets later she felt the planes shaky descent back to the ground and she squeezed her eyes shut when she felt the plane jump as it made contact with the runway. She knew if there was one thing she would never get used to, it was flying. The door to the room opened and Jane walked in.

"It's safe to unbuckle," the girl explained.

Salem nodded and unlatched the strap keeping her secure before standing. "Thank you for letting me know."

Jane paused before she left and turned to face Salem, her expression extremely serious. "Before you disembark, I want to offer you a few words of advice. You don't completely understand what an honor it is to be sent as one of your guards because you are ignorant of our world, but as much as it is an honor, it is also a responsibility that I will not be taking lightly. You are not to leave our sights, and by our I mean Dmitri, Felix, and I. If you do, you won't enjoy the consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

Salem nodded, her heart in her throat. Jane may have been the smallest of the Volturi guard, but she was pretty sure the blonde vampire was the most terrifying. "Crystal clear. You won't have any problems out of me."

The plane had all but stopped by the time she made it to the main cabin. Edward and Alice sat with Bella, who now looked well rested. Her family members were the first to depart from the jet. Edward was rushing to get Bella as far away from the red eyed vampires as possible and it was very obvious. Alice paced beside Felix, who had decided to exit the jet before Dmitri and Jane and Salem was jammed in between them all.

They had landed at another private airstrip and she immediately noticed her fathers car, as well as Emmett's jeep parked not to far away from the plane. She watched as they all piled out and her mother embraced Edward, then Bella. She smiled gently at the happiness on her mothers face and she picked up her pace. This was why she had done what she did. If anything had happened to her brother, their family would have fallen apart. Felix moved to the side a bit when they were within feet of her dad and she felt a gust of wind before she felt his arms clutching her tightly to him. She felt the bag in her hand fall to the ground, not too hard thankfully, as she wrapped herself around him.

"I-i'm sorry dad. I couldn't just let him do it," she apologized on the verge of tears. She felt him release her enough that he could look down at her.

"It doesn't matter, Salem. You're safe. Edward is safe. You're home. We can figure the rest out a little later." He stroked the hair on her head down like he used to do when she was a child before pulling her back to hold. When he finally let her go, her mother grabbed her next.

"What were you thinking? You should have told us you were going with Alice," her mother chided. She swallowed the lump in her throat before nodding. What could she say? She knew she had messed me. She knew before she had ever gotten onto the plane to Italy, but there was nothing that could have stopped her from rescuing her brother. Not heaven or hell.

Esme let her go after a moment to grab Edward again and Salem glanced over at the Jeep a few feet away. Emmett casually leaned up against the dark colored vehicle, but she wasn't fooled by his seemingly calm demeanor. Rose stood beside him with crossed arms. She walked towards them with a guilty expression. To anyone who didn't know the couple one might say that they looked stressed at the most but Salem knew the truth. They were mad. Beyond furious.

Emmett broke first. She gave him one pouty, tearful frown, the best she could muster, and he was swearing, one hand pushing his hair back. She almost smiled. It was no wonder she cursed so much. She had learned from him and the expletives leaving his mouth made him sound worse than a sailor!

"Kiddo, you about caused the first vampire death by stroke. What were you thinking going off to Italy like that?" he demanded. His eyes were narrowed and she knew he was pissed. Emmett was never mad, but when he was mad you didn't want to be on the reviving end. She had avoided that fate until now.

"I couldn't let him die, Em."

That was the truth. She offered no excuses for her actions because there weren't any that would have worked anyways. She would have done the same thing for any other member of her family and if the time came when she had to do it again, she would. With her answer, she saw his expression relax and he sighed before grasping her wrist, dragging her into his arms.

"That's the only reason you're being grounded for one month instead of six," he told her seriously. She nodded into his chest before he let her go. Rose didn't say anything to her, her expression still one of fury. The beautiful vampire simply turned away from the two of them and walked around the jeep. The sound of the car door being opened and slammed shut followed. Salem winced and Emmett shot her a look she knew well.

"She will calm down, Salem," he told her gently. Tears beaded up in her eyes but she nodded. Emmett looked over her shoulder and whistled. "You really did bring the worst of them, didn't you squirt?"

Salem cringed at the nickname. She looked to see what he was talking about and her eyes found her three guardian vampires talking lowly with Carlisle. She couldn't help but notice that Felix's gaze never left where she was, as if he was afraid she was going to make a run for it. She turned back around and shrugged.

"Hey, don't be mean," she scolded. She didn't know why she was acting so defensive towards her brother for the three vampires, but just letting Emmett run his mouth didn't sit right with her. "Besides, I didn't exactly get a choice. It was this or I had to stay with them," she told him. He looked down at her with guilt all over his face and she arched an eyebrow.

"You all knew, didn't you?" It wasn't a question. It was an accusation.

Emmett's hand rose to massage the back of his neck nervously. "Let's get you home. Bella and Edward are going to ride with Carlisle, and Alice and Jasper are going on foot," he told her, bringing her around to the passenger side back door.

She knew he had evaded her question on purpose but she had plans on drilling all of her family members later so she let it go for the moment. Still, he had every right to be acting nervous. Salem couldn't say with certainty if knowing that her three vampires were her mates would have made a difference in whether or not she would have went to Italy in the way that she did, but it could have! Even if it hadn't of mattered one way or the other, she still had a right to know that three men had some freaky vampire connection to her. Well, freakier than he dream sharing.

The door was opened and she climbed inside. Jane opened the other door just as she clicked her seat belt in place and climbed inside with them. Rosalie glanced back and glared at the blonde headed pixie, but only got a smile from the tiny vampire in response. Not many people, vampire and human alike, had the nerve to stare at Rosalie like that and it made Salem all the more uncomfortable.

The ride home was quiet. Rose was still mad and Salem couldn't exactly blame her. She had done something really stupid and it had very nearly gotten her killed. She felt something vibrate underneath her and she squinted her eyes in confusion before she remembered the phone in her back pocket. She pulled it out and her face lit up before she could stop it.

Marcus: We miss you, Amore Mio.

She didn't know reading five words could make her feel so happy but her heart jumped with delight. She hit the reply button and her fingers typed quickly.

Salem: Not as much as I miss you three. I'm beginning to feel like I should have stayed. Rosalie hasn't spoken a word to me. I'm not used to being on the receiving end of her anger...

She hit send and not even seconds later her phone pinged in response. That was a perk of vampire speed she had never thought of before.

Marcus: I'm sure she's only worried, piccola. Though, I wouldn't mind you returning home. Should I inform your guard that you wish to come back?

Salem: No, I'm sure you are right. Besides, I haven't even made it home yet.

Marcus: You are to call me or one of my brothers immediately if you change your mind. Until later, little one.

Salem looked up with a sigh at the end of their conversation and stashed her phone away just as the Jeep pulled into the driveway of the Cullen home. The massive, three story open layout house was Salem's favorite place out of all of the other places she had lived. It was beautiful and relaxing and her family didn't have to hide from the open windows most of the time with all of gloomy weather Fork's got. In many other houses they had lived in, the windows had to be covered almost constantly.

She climbed out of the Jeep once it parked in the garage and bounded up the steps with her bag to the door leading inside, not sparing anyone a second glance. Cool air wafted over her and she smiled at being back. She had hated being away from Forks and she had missed Bella. They all had. It was obvious Esme had been cleaning and decorating while they had been in Italy to prepare the house for their return. She heard another car pull up and when she glanced out one of the big windows in the living room she saw it was her mom and dad pulling up. She traveled over towards the staircase and took them up as quickly as possible.

It was selfish, but Salem didn't feel like talking. So much had happened and she needed time away from everyone to process. On the third floor, her room was to the right and all the way down the hallway. She pushed into her bedroom teary eyed. This was home. Her bed sat on the far wall across from the giant window that made up her wall. The fan was blowing gently, rustling papers on her desk. Books cases lined some of the walls and some of her art supplies were still in boxes. Her mom knew her well enough to know that she would rather sort her own things out and she smiled at that. She lugged the heavy bag over and sat it down on the desk before moving towards the huge glass wall. She opened the door that led to her balcony and stepped outside onto the cool air.

Immediately she saw them. A flash of red in the forest had her peering up into one of the trees in her back yard to spot Felix sitting casually, watching the sunset. Except she knew that was not what he was doing. She was watching the sunset. He was keeping an eye on her and she would have had been stupid not to know it. She sighed loudly and sat down, her legs threading through the rails so they were hanging down over the side of the house. Her head came to rest on one of the cool bars in front of her as she watched the sun's rays fade into darkness.

She could hear commotion from downstairs, followed by the sound of laughter, but thankfully she was left alone. Eventually, she saw Edward appear in the tree line and she realized that he must have stayed with Bella when she was dropped off at home and came home on foot after he reassured her he wasn't going anywhere. At least, he had better not go anywhere because Salem certainly wasn't leaving. Bella had been through enough and Salem was tired of Edwards theatrics. He gazed up at her from where he was standing and she waved at him. He smiled at her, a knowing smile that told her he was reading her every thought, before striding off in a lazy saunter around the house to the front door.

The sky was a pretty blue when she felt her nerves begin to fade and her mind, which had been completely numb before, began to comprehend thoughts once more. At first she thought that was was starting to feel better by herself, but then she heard the door slide open behind her. The visitor didn't say anything but he sat down beside her, mimicking her stance. She looked over at Jasper with a raised eyebrow.

"I know you are calming me down, mister. You aren't as sly as you think," she sassed. He smiled like a guilty man and put his hands up.

"Excuse me, mam' for caring for my little sister,"he drawled, bumping shoulders with her before his face grew more serious. "I could feel how distraught you were from all the way downstairs and it isn't in my nature to let you suffer when I can help it."

She giggled at his thick Southern drawl and he grabbed her around her waist, pulling her towards him for a hug. For Jasper to get so close to her was rare. He still had a problem controlling his hunger, but she knew he wouldn't put her in harms way if he didn't feel like he had one hundred percent control.

"Everyone is home, Salem. Edward is back with us instead of running away from his problems. You were so brave running off to Italy and you managed to save our brothers life, and Bella's for that matter. Anyone that's upset with you won't be for long," he told her gently. She nodded her head, not meeting his gaze. "Yet, I can still feel your sorrow and confusion. Talk to me. Let me help."

She relaxed against him and felt his power slowly began to fade. Jasper power was a blessing when he helped, but a curse when he stopped helping. He kept unwanted emotions at bay but when they came back, they all hit at once. Her emotions welled back up inside her, fighting for dominance. Eventually, sadness won and she felt large sobs shake her before she felt the tears that were no doubt pouring from her eyes.

She didn't really know why she was crying. All things considered, the Volturi had shown them mercy. No one was dead, they had been given time, both Bella and herself, and she had her family together back in Forks for the first time in almost a year. Jasper was right. Still, there was the sharpest pain in her chest. A longing for something. A longing for someone. Three someones. God, was this what being without them would be like? The pain felt like someone had plunged a hand into her chest and squeezed her heart over and over again to keep it beating when all she really wanted to do was die.

She missed them, that was true, but there was something else eating at her too. She knew what it was. She hadn't let herself even think about it, but now it seemed she had no choice. She shook harder in Jasper's arms, her tears soaking his shirt. He stroked her back gently as he whispered words of encouragement to her, telling her it was okay to cry and be upset. She looked up at him, the image of his blonde hair and calming eyes blurry with her tears obscuring her view.

"A-am I e-evil no-ow?"

The Cullen's had always stressed just how important their diet was to them. Even though she wasn't a vampire herself, she had decided that if she ever felt the need to be turned she would adopt it. The way she heard her siblings talk about their past and other human eating vampires made her sick. To hunt humans and kill them was evil and bad. They had all agreed on that. Now, she had three mates who not only had a human diet, but who thought that any way other than theirs was disgusting and weak. Would they expect her to kill humans? Would she kill when the time came and she woke up a blood hungry vampire?

Jasper shook his head and squeezed her to his side, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Why would you think that Salem? You wouldn't hurt a fly. Literally. You don't even let us kill spiders in the house."

She shook her head against him and pulled away. "The Volturi kill humans. Aro, Caius, and Marcus kill humans. I didn't even think about that when I was there, but it's wrong, isn't it? I think of them though, and all I can feel is how sad I am, how much it hurts, that I'm not with them. Shouldn't I feel disgust? Anger?" Her hands pulled at both sides of her head as she began to cry again, but this time in shame.

Jasper gently pulled her hands away from her hair so that she couldn't pull at it and turned so that she had to face him. He took her chin in his hand.

He asked his next question with pain in his eyes and she knew what he was going to ask before he did it. "Do you think I'm evil, Salem? Do you think every other vampire besides those that choose a animal based diet is evil?"

Salem shook her head. She knew Jasper used to have a human diet. It was part of the reason he struggled with the animal diet so much. He knew exactly what he was missing. Most of her family had eaten humans, but not to the extent that Jasper had. She had also met friends of her fathers that had red eyes and they had seemed perfectly polite.

"I know that it must seem very, very foreign to you but its natural for vampires to drink human blood. We, the Cullen's, are the minority. I know it doesn't make it better, but most vampires choose to feed off the underbelly of society. Some pick their prey because its convenient. But the important thing is that when a vampire feeds, its never personal. Its done as quickly and humanely as possible, unless the vampire really is demented, but at that point its has nothing to do with with them being vampire and everything to do with how mentally sick they are. Do you understand?"

Salem shrugged. A part of her could understand it, but another, larger part of herself, the human part, didn't. Life was life and it should be preserved, shouldn't it? The sound of a bang made her gasp and she looked behind her to find Jane standing on the opposite side of the balcony, glaring at Jasper.

"Newborn, you aren't permitted to be around the Queen by yourself. You're level of self control isn't safe," she muttered angrily, shooting a look into the trees at Felix, who she assumed had been listening to their entire conversation.

Jasper stood, followed by Salem. "If you are insinuating that I would hurt my sister in anyway, then you are highly mistaken," he growled, placing his body a foot in front of her as if to protect her from some great evil. Alice appeared in the doorway then, her fingers looping through his. She gave Salem a smile and didn't acknowledge Jane.

"Carlisle wants us downstairs, Salem," her sister informed her before tugging Jasper away. He moved a bit hesitantly, not wanting to leave Salem behind but he eventually left with her sister and she found herself alone with Jane.

"Aro would not be pleased. He saw the attack on Isabella and he has forbidden you to be alone with him without one of us present," she told her coldly. Salem met her eyes and had to make herself keep the emotionless gaze of the young girl.

"Fortunately, Aro doesn't make all the rules for me. Neither does Caius, or Marcus if you were wondering. I want to get along with you Jane, and the other two, despite what you may believe, but being with my family, whichever member of my family I want, at any time I want, will be exactly what I do," Salem told Jane firmly.

The vampire didn't so much as raise an eyebrow in response. Salem turned then and shut the balcony door with a loud bang, pulling curtains from one side of the room to the other to completely obscure the wall so that the vampires outside couldn't look in. She left her room to head downstairs and almost ran into Dmitri, who stood guard just outside of her door.

Salem swore loudly, stepping around him. "Thank you for standing guard outside my room so that my family couldn't murder me during the ten minuets I've been home," she told him sarcastically. She heard a little laugh but ignored it. They were going to suffocate her. They really were.

She took the steps as fast as she could and when she hit the bottom floor she didn't stop until she ran right into Emmett's arms. She heard the footsteps behind her tapper off and she sighed, glad to be away from the strange vampires for a while. Her family sat around the fireplace, her three guard members standing on the opposite side of the room.

"I've just spoken with Aro," her father began, standing from his seat beside her mother. Her heart stuttered at the news and Carlisle continued. "Alice had a vision of Victoria returning to look for Bella two days from now. "

Salem's face grew white. Victoria was the mate of a vampire named James that Edward had been forced to kill to save Bella. She was bad news. Really bad news. As focused as James had been on Bella, Victoria had been even more so focused on Salem. When Alice and Jasper had taken Bella to New Mexico, her dad took her to Alaska and they had stayed with the Denali coven for protection. After James had been killed, Victoria went off the grid and Salem had been unable to hide forever. Besides, when they had left Forks, it wasn't as serious of a problem because the red headed nomad didn't know where she was. Now, she was back home and it meant that Salem was basically a sitting duck.

Salem separated herself from Emmett and swallowed loudly. "Was she only looking for Bella?" No one answered her and she nodded in understanding. Victoria was coming for her too, and it was only a matter of time before she caught up with her. As much as her family wanted to protect her, Victoria was smart. She knew about Alice's visions and Salem was certain that with practice, Victoria would be able to get around them eventually. All it took was a few random decisions.

"Both Marcus and Caius want Salem to return to Italy, but I convinced Aro to send another guard instead. Alec will be joining us tomorrow," her father explained. Salem would have groaned if it wouldn't have been so rude. How was she going to deal with another one? "Alice has seen that as soon as she passes onto our land, we will be able to apprehend her, but it will take every vampire in this room to do so."

"I know you aren't suggesting that we leave Salem without protection?" Felix spoke up.

Alice answered. "I've seen every possible outcome and if we don't have you three and Alec with us then she will escape. Salem will be fine here until we return. I've seen it."

Her guard seemed to have a silent conversation with themselves before Jane gave them an answer. "We will not leave the queen here unguarded for any reason. You will simply have to wait for another opportunity to kill Victoria. I believe that when Aro caught her in Salem's thoughts, he placed a price on her head and sent out a hunting party. Eventually, she will be brought to justice."

The fact that Aro had cared enough to try and eliminate the threat to her warmed her heart, especially since she didn't even know if the vampire was still after her or just Bella. Still, if Alice thought that this was their chance to put an end to the nightmares, then Salem wanted them to do it. She trusted her sister.

When no one in the room moved to rebuke Jane, Salem sighed. "May I be excused for a moment," she asked.

Her dad nodded and she slipped her new phone out of her pocket before stepping outside. She began walking nervously down the driveway as she fumbled with the device in her hand. She clicked her contacts and scrolled up and down, trying to decided which of her mates to call. She hovered above one name, before changing her mind at the last moment and clicking another instead. She bit her lip and prayed he wouldn't be overseeing a case. Not a whole ring in, her fears were vanquished.

"It is good to hear from you so soon, little one."

"Are you busy?" she murmured, suddenly sad. Hearing his voice was like a punch in the stomach. She missed her three vampires more than words could describe. It was like she was being held just underneath the surface of a body of water. She knew exactly where her mates were at and yet she couldn't leap up and do anything about it.

The vampire on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment. She knew her tone wasn't a calm one and she could tell that it had instantly set him on edge. "What's wrong?"

"I don't mean to worry you. Have you spoken with my dad about Victoria?," she practically choked on the name as it came out of her mouth.

"Of course. You have nothing to worry about, Salem. When I informed Marcus and Caius of the situation, they wanted you to come home, but they understand that it's important to you to spend time with your family so we are sending Alec instead," he told her gently. "You should hopefully have no need of their protection, but we can not be too safe until you are home."

"Dad told me. I'm not truly sure how I'm going to handle another one, Aro. I feel like I'm going crazy as it is. Everywhere I look, I see one of them or feel one of them watching. It's... unsettling," she admitted, biting her lip.

He scoffed on the other end of the line. "Then they are doing their job, Salem. The Volturi have many enemies and with Victoria threatening you, you will have to learn to live with them for the moment."

She knew he was right. It was just hard to admit it. Besides, with the crazy redhead after her again, it felt good to know that there were going to be four bad ass vampires looking out for her.

"I'm trying. I really am. That isn't the reason I called though. I need something Aro," she hesitated. Aro wasn't going to be happy with the idea of her being home alone and she didn't know how to even begin convincing him that it was the right thing to do.

"Name it and it is yours," he told her, surprise in his tone. She smiled, knowing he thought she meant a material 'thing'. She looked up from where she was standing and found herself a bit further down the driveway than she meant to be and she turned to head back, walking a bit slower.

"I've never been afraid of a vampire before. Not in my dreams when it was you three and not when I met my family. Last year though, James and Victoria changed that," tears were threatening her now. She was so tired of crying. "Alice has had a vision and there is a chance that they will be able to capture her. I really need that, Aro. Some nights I can't even close my eyes without seeing her standing over my bed, fangs bared."

Aro was silent before he responded lowly through the phone. "What are you asking?"

She paused mid step and closed her eyes. "It's going to take the entire Cullen family as well as the four guard I will have assigned to me. It's the only way Alice could see them being able to apprehend her."

Silence. She took a breath to continue her argument, but was interrupted.

"Absolutely not." He said it calmly but firmly. "It's out of the question for you to be left unguarded while a dangerous enemy that has so violently fixated on you prowls the area."

A sob left her throat before she could stop it. "Aro, I need this. If I have to beg, I will. Alice would have seen if I was going to be in trouble. I'll lock the door, Victoria will be miles away, and by the end of the night she will hopefully be dead and there will be no danger to me."

"Calm down, little one," he cooed, trying to calm her down through the phone.

"I haven't asked for anything from anyone in a very long time Aro. I let you assign me guards, I am being turned, something I'm terrified of, in months, and I'm coming back to Italy and leaving my family behind. I'd choose you three every time, but I need you allow them to do this. This is an opportunity that may not present itself again for a very long time," she explained further.

"Salem, if I allow this and something happens to you-"

She interrupted him. "I know, I know, you'll kill someone or something equally as violent."

He chuckled darkly. "If a vampire manages to lay a hand on you, hurts you in anyway, someone will die, Salem. I don't know who, but Caius will request blood be spilled for a transgression of that nature and I will not rebuke his request."

"Aro..." she responded softly, worriedly.

"You are our mate, living outside of our covens protection, and your own it seems. The Cullen's obviously have no regard for your safety. If you do this, your family had better be sure about Alice's vision. I will call and relay the message to your guard," he told her.

"Thank you, Aro. Everything is going to be okay. You'll see." She let out a breath of relief and picked up her pace when a bright light from the house caught her eyes.

"See that I do. If anything happens to you, I don't know what I'll do," he admitted. Her heart turned over at hearing such a hardened male confess his feeling for her.

"For the record, I'm glad I ran off to Italy with Alice. I really did miss you three. So much," she responded as her hand lifted up to grip her Volturi crest in between her fingers.

"I know you did. I have to go now but I will text the guard and let them know to go with the Cullen's. I will also let Marcus and Caius know of your decision. Be safe, Salem."

"You too, Aro."

The click of the phone hanging up had her putting it away as she climbed the stairs and opened the door to enter the living room once more. Felix surprised her by catching the door behind her before it closed and followed her inside. She knew immediately that he had been following her outside. She hadn't noticed, but she should have expected it.

Everyone turned to look at her as she walked into the living room and she took a deep breath. "I talked with Aro and he said that my four guard members are to help you capture Victoria, but...we should make sure that your plan is foolproof and that she won't be coming my way."

Edward spoke up then, shifting on the couch. "Bella is being sent to Florida with a friend so we won't have to worry about leaving her by herself. She knows nothing about the Victoria situation. I don't want to scare her when we can eliminate the threat without her ever knowing about it. This needs to be taken care of before it can escalate and someone has the chance to get hurt."

Her father nodded. "Alice, are you sure that if we do this, Salem will be left unharmed?"

Alice rolled her eyes and flashed Salem a smile. "So long as she stays home, she will be fine. The only problem I see her having is her usual taste in terrible movies."

Salem shuffled her feet. "I will have you know that I quiet like my movies, even if they are terrible. It's way better than the depressing stuff Edward watches."

Edward arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Salem, your idea of a classic is Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

She didn't reply but her face heated as she heard a snort from one of her guards.

Her father tuned to address her guards. "Then it's decided. We will prepare as much as we can tomorrow. When Alec arrives, we will need to get you familiar with the area."

She tensed and looked over at Edward, who shook his head at her. Aro wouldn't have been able to see the wolves in Edwards mind since the wolves were impervious to vampire power and as far as she knew, the Volturi had no clue that a pack of shifters lived only miles away. They would have to be certain to keep away from there.

Felix gave them all a strange grin. "We look forward to it, Cullen's. I assure you it won't take us long to learn what we must." He looked over to Jane who's smile sent shivers down her spine.

"I, for one, don't like the idea of leaving Salem alone. Alice's visions are subject to change," Jasper spoke up, pacing behind Alice ever so slowly. "Victoria has been proven to be unpredictable before."

Rose sighed loudly. "There would be a risk with whatever we decided to do. We can't all stay here to protect her and this way we can eliminate the threat all together. I would sleep much better at night knowing I don't have to worry about my sister being eaten when we aren't around.

Salem swallowed loudly, extremely uncomfortable at the direction the conversation was turning. She didn't even want to imagine the possibility of that happening. She had enough nightmares of it to last a lifetime. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I know the rest of you don't need sleep, but this human does. I say we stick to the plan. I've been left home alone before. I'll be perfectly fine for a few hours."

A chorus of good nights followed her up the stairs, along with Dmitri to her annoyance. She opened the door to her room and slammed it behind her, wishing it would crash through the frame and hit the annoying man standing guard. Alone, she didn't even bother with the light before she sunk to the floor with her back to the door and gazed at the dark wall in front of her.

She didn't want to cry anymore, she really didn't, but she couldn't stop the little sobs that left her. Whether she liked it or not, things had changed and they were only going to continue to do so. Victoria was back, she had three mates, and to top it all off her human self was slowly dying. A laugh hysterical laugh left her mouth when she realized she had an expropriation date, like a gallon of milk in the fridge. She stood long enough to make it to her bed before throwing herself onto it. She grabbed the blanket from her bag, curled up around it, and let sleep take her problems away.