Thudding footsteps and the creaking of the stairs were all I was able to hear over the excited yelling of my little brother who was just sent to fetch the mail early this monday morning. Groggy from being up late finishing an essay, I sat at my desk trying to run a brush through my tangled hair. Mid-yanking of a particularly difficult knot my bedroom door was thrown open with so much force the jacket hanging on the back of it actually fell off its hook.

Startled, I gave my panting brother a wide eyed look, my own heart racing from the literal jump scare he gave me as he gave me a bright eyed look.

"You…" He took in a big gulp of air as he tried to catch his breath. "You got a letter!" He moved quickly so he could shove it into my face. No, literally, it's pressed against my cheek to the point where I could probably identify the tree used to make it.

Giving him a disgruntled look, I took the letter and stared at the font. "What… How the hell can you even read this?" I turned the letter this way and that, not even bothering to open it as I knew the contents would probably hold the same unreadable fancy scrawl. On the back was a wax seal of a vaguely familiar insignia. A large V with four regal feathers and a diamond at the base of the letter. In the center was the typical shape for an old-family crest, split into quadrants where the upper left and lower right having leafless trees and the opposite sides holding what look like a crossbreed of a butterfly and an owl that decided to pick up a crocodile. The very top was an oval ruby- holy shit that's a real ruby how did that not get stolen in postage?!

"Mom saw your name." He helpfully pulled it down with a single finger, almost ripping it in two so he could point it out and sure enough, my name was there, in looping fancy letters.

"Wow. Edward can probably read this, spent enough time and torture from him trying to teach me calligraphy, but you know how it goes, you can't write what you can't read! Go get ready for school, I'll be dropping you off." I stood up and shoved my brother out of my room, closing the door behind him and picking the jacket up and hanging it back on its hook.

I have a strong gut feeling who this letter is from, but it's best I let Edward decipher the hieroglyphics for me. After all, it could be from the Vatican!

I sat down in first period in front of Angela, heaving a heavy sigh from my chest as I looked back at her with wide puppy dog eyes.

She gave me a somewhat concerned look and cocked her head to the side. "What?" She asked, the first bell wasn't going to ring for a few more minutes so we were free to talk.

"I'm so tired!" I whined almost dramatically, throwing my hands out and across the desk. "When are finals?"

"Next week…" She raised a brow. "The week before graduation, remember?"

"Can I skip?" I laid my head on her desk.

"Not if you want to graduate." She snorted at me, looking back down at her notebook.

"Damn…" I sighed. "I guess I'll just accept the mental torture and hope I don't die by the end of it all." Okay, this time I was being dramatic.

"You'll be okay Jess." Angela patted my head sympathetically without looking at me.

I sighed and shook my head. "You won't be saying that at my funeral." I grumbled, turning around and pulling out my own notebook.

Angela snorted at me again, obviously amused at my theatrics.

Classes seemed to drag on and on today. I watched the clock, today we didn't have study hall, today we were supposed to be in the computer labs learning typing or whatever. I just wanted to give the letter to Edward and see if he or someone else can translate it for me.

The sound of my fingers pressing the keys was numbing in my head, I just wanted this to be over with but I knew I had to get this assignment done. Our teacher said anyone with an A- or better on this assignment will get to learn programming during finals week rather than take an actual finals. Learning how to program would be awesome, but sometimes I wish I had the ability to swiftly type without looking at the keyboard every twenty seconds.

I shifted a jealous glare to one of my classmates who was not only typing without looking at her keyboard, but was chatting with a friend and not looking at the computer screen! There was also a girl who typed fast but had acrylic nails so instead of click click click it was more like a CLACK CLACK CLACK.

I tried to remain focused on my work and ignored the people around me. Move faster clock!

Lunch rolled around at last, my body finally collapsing into one of those flimsy plastic chairs, a tray of usually ignored food in front of me as I rummaged around in my backpack as Edward took the empty seat next to me.

"Ah ha!" I shouted in victory, holding the fancy, albeit slightly crumpled letter in my hand. "Here!" I shoved into Edward's vacant hands. "I can't read it. I got it this morning and it seems important."

Edward looked at it with an amused expression as he read the envelope. His brow furrowed a bit as he looked between me and it.

"Who did you get it from?" He asked, eyeing me suspiciously. He flipped the envelope over and when he saw the wax seal he looked like if he was still alive his heart would have stopped.

I couldn't answer so I shrugged. "Max brought it to me this morning." I replied honestly.

He took in a deep breath despite not needing it and nodded. He put the letter, almost too carefully, into one of his folders in his backpack and zipped it all up. "I'll take it to Carlisle later today, come by my house after work."

I nodded with a short smile, looking out the window. "Don't read it without me!" I grinned at him, "okay?"

Edward nodded again, this time with a fond smile and an amused glint in his eyes. Even though his face held kindness, it didn't escape me that the rest of his body was wound up and tense.

I anxiously drummed my fingers on my steering wheel as I made the rather long, nearly 45 minute drive from my work place to Edward's house.

"Damn Cullens' and living on the outskirts of town in the middle of the woods." I muttered to myself, keeping my baby blues on the road as I tried to refrain from getting lost in thought. "What could possibly be in that fancy-schmancy letter?" I wondered out loud to myself as I turned onto the dirt road that would lead to the Cullen estate.

When I parked, and locked my car doors after getting out. I stared at the large nearly completely glass house. It had a solemn air about it and that worried me more than the content of the letter itself. Whatever was written in it was enough to make the entire Cullen clan uneasy and it all but confirmed my suspicions at this point.

Walking up the steps to the front door, I couldn't stop the nervous gulp of air as I knocked. As soon as my knuckles hit the wood of the door it swung open and I was immediately, almost painfully, dragged inside.

"What the fuck, Edward! I know I'm not fragile but I'm also not made of steel!" I shouted at my boyfriend as he dragged me to the living room.

The air inside was tense, I could almost taste the anxiety. I looked to Jasper who was getting increasingly tense by the second as my own anxieties filled the air as well. I couldn't help but feel guilty about it but there wasn't much I could do about controlling my emotions.

"What did the letter say?" I asked, knowing for a fact they read it without me. I rubbed my wrist as I sat down, waiting to hear the obviously shocking news.

"It says that it wants you to go to Italy to this specific address, and it came with 2 plane tickets."

I felt the blood drain from my face. What did he just say?

"You were invited." Edward ground out through gritted teeth. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep, unnecessary inhale. "You were invited by the Volturi and they have given you permission to take a plus one. I'm going with you."

I raised a brow, feeling more relaxed at the idea of him coming with me. "So you just decided that on your own?" I looked around the room, even Rosalie's eyes were wide and her eyes soft, softer than they have ever been around me, it was subtle, just under her mask of annoyance but I could see it. "Okay… I guess I… better pack then."

"Oh, I'll help!" Alice sprung up from her seat, as if the chair was set on fire. She skipped over to me, wrapping her arms around mine and I could feel the slight tremble in her grip. "I want you to look best in your pictures in Italy!"

I nodded, letting her drag me off to my car, leaving behind the worried family.

Sorry for the long wait everyone! But here is chapter 14! I hope you like it! Only two chapters for me to finish writing before I complete my first ever multi chaptered story! 21 chapters in total! I love you guys! Thanks for sticking with me this long!