~ Chapter Twelve ~

Harleigh stood, watching as the remains of Victoria's Newborn Army turned to ash beneath the ferocity of Fiendfyre. A large serpent rose before him, eager to seek out any life within the vicinity and snuff it out. The Cullen's, however, had already retreated to the safety of their house, a screaming Isabella Swan hastily carried away from the scene by Alice; not that Miss Swan would be considered as living for much longer by magic. Of course, her new predicament caused several issues no one was ready to deal with.

Isabella Swan could not be left alone now she was turning. She would have an incredible amount of strength and speed as a newborn that many weren't capable of controlling, not to mention the patience needed in teaching her how to control her new cravings. The Cullen's would attempt to aid her to the best of their ability but Harleigh wasn't even certain which of the family members would be remaining after this ordeal.

Then, of course, they needed to even consider whether the Shifters would allow Miss Swan to remain so close to their territory given she would no longer be human. As a pack, the Shifters had left not long after Alice had fled with Isabella, and they hadn't seemed too concerned with the girl's pain. They would need to speak before a decision regarding the girl was made.

This decision would need to be a group agreement, yet, Harleigh didn't trust their ability to make the best decision for everyone involved. Half of them couldn't make up their minds, and those with the loudest voice defended Isabella without a second thought. If Harleigh, once again, had to step in and take the decision from their hands, Miss Swan would be sorely disappointed. Yet, Harleigh couldn't argue that his last decision had worked out well.

With a wave of his hand, the illusion of invisibility disappeared, and Bree stood by his side, eyes wide at the magical fire Harleigh had created. The distaste of being ordered to end an innocent life hadn't left his mouth yet, but he hadn't been about to allow that situation to unfold as the Volturri had planned.

"Will they ever discover I'm still alive?" she questioned in little more than a whisper as the flames began to die down.

"The Volturri are unlikely to discover I faked your death," Harleigh reassured. "Besides, now that the army have been vanquished, I have no reason to remain here; you are more than welcome to accompany me when I return to London."

There was a slight pause before Bree answered, "But I don't have a passport…"

Harleigh smiled as Bree trailed off forlornly. "Don't worry, you won't need a passport with the way I travel."

"Is that other girl coming with us… the one the vampire's wanted to pick over me?"

The question was quiet but handled with a careful control attempting to hide anger. Harleigh didn't blame Bree for her anger either, it was clear, after all, that Bella held more importance to their family even after Bree had been welcomed. Their silence when a choice had been requested spoke louder than any words.

"No, Isabella Swan is not welcome in my home. Carlisle and Rosalie will be joining us, but the others haven't made a decision yet."

Bree visibly brightened at the words and began to babble on about never having travelled to England before and Harleigh would have permitted her to continue if they weren't needed back at the Cullen residence.

"Come along Bree, the fire has extinguished, and I'd like to see you try a Bloodpop."

Harleigh took Bree's hand and apparated, landing by the front door.

Instantly, they were assaulted with Isabella's screams, Bree cringing worse than Harleigh. A simple spell lessened the affects of the vampiric hearing for Bree as they entered the house to discover no one insight. Bree simply looked upward and motioned to the stairs, indicating the Cullen's were occupied upstairs.

"I've finished dealing with the newborns." Harleigh spoke normally, knowing someone would appear upon his return.

"Harleigh, welcome back, Carlisle needs…" Rosalie trailed off as she walked down the stairs.

Golden eyes moved between Harleigh and Bree before Rosalie stepped forward, hesitantly, before wrapping her arms around Bree. Bree beamed, returning the hug of one of the few people who had fought to keep her alive. Rosalie's emotions must have been a strong lure as Jasper moved swiftly down to their group, curiosity turning into shock.

"You didn't kill Bree?"

This sentence alone summoned the remainder of their family to the stairs. Harleigh didn't bother looking at their faces knowing each person would have a differing reaction to the news.

"No, I hid her beneath an illusion which both caused her to disappear from everyone's sight and made it appear as if she turned to nothing but dust. Bree had done nothing wrong and I didn't see the point in choosing between her and Miss Swan purely so the Volturri could be smug."

"We can't have Bree and Bella here! Even with all of us together, we couldn't handle two newborns." Alice insisted.

Before anyone could say otherwise, Bree spoke. "Then it's a good thing I won't be here. You can have Isabella all to yourself because I'm leaving with Harleigh."

Her announcement was met overall with relief. No one wanted an argument to spill out so soon after the battle they just faced. Regardless, they needed to discuss how they were going to move forward, and it needed to happen before Miss Swan woke.

"How long will it be before Miss Swan wakes?" Harleigh questioned.

"A few days, it will depend on how Isabella takes to the turning but no longer than three." Carlisle replied.

"We need to have a discussion with the Shifters."

Carlisle frowned. "It has been a long night, you need to rest Harleigh, before we begin negotiations with the Shifters."

Seeing Rosalie and Bree look at him with concern, Harleigh agreed. "Very well, I'll rest, but you call the Shifters and ask for a meeting tomorrow afternoon. This isn't something we can put off."

Agreeing, Carlisle motioned for Harleigh to head upstairs. Bree would be fine with Rosalie and he would need to remember to give them Bloodpops later. But for now, rest sounded exactly what he needed. Once within the walls of his room, the screams of Isabella Swan were silenced and after a hot shower, Harleigh curled up beneath the comfortable sheets of his bed and fell asleep.

x-x-x-x-x

No one wanted to be at the meeting the following day. As a group, the Cullen's had agreed they needed to discuss Miss Swan's turning with the wolves. The Shifters, however, didn't bother to hide their displeasure, obviously wanting this entire situation to end. Of course, seeing Bree alive didn't help the situation.

"With your family looking after her, Bella can remain within the town, she leaves when you leave."

They were the first words spoken by anyone and Sam made the Shifters' feelings well known.

"It would be for the best," Alice agreed readily. "Bella can spend time with her father until we're ready to move in a few years and by then it will only be natural because Edward will have proposed."

The wolves looked ready to just accept and leave, however, Carlisle interrupted before they could plan further.

"That won't be an option, I'm afraid."

Alice turned, disbelieving. "It's the best option Carlisle. With Harleigh and Bree gone we can return to our day to day lives. Everything will fall into place as it should have been."

Carlisle simply shook his head before turning to address Sam. "I won't be remaining within Forks, I will be leaving for London with Harleigh and Bree in the next few days."

The Shifters' relaxed knowing Harleigh and Bree would be leaving. The complication of having Bree alive brought with it the possibility of the Volturri returning and the Shifters didn't want to have to deal with that. A vampiric Isabella Swan appeared to be as far as they were willing to allow. But, with Carlisle's departure, their plans of forcing the Cullen's to deal with Miss Swan alone weren't an option.

Sam narrowed his eyes. "What about the rest of your family?"

"I will not speak for them." Carlisle denied. "They need to make a decision about their future for themselves, whether that is to remain here or to move to London."

The Shifters all turned to the remaining Cullen's. Many of them looked conflicted, not realizing that they would need to decide so soon after the defeat of the newborns. However, Harleigh wasn't about to remain any longer than necessary and so Carlisle had already handed in his notice at the hospital and was prepared to pack and leave.

"I'm leaving with Harleigh and Carlisle." Rosalie said without any consideration.

Rosalie wouldn't look at the faces of her family, firm in her decision. Harleigh had warned her previously and she'd been thinking non-stop whenever Edward wasn't around. Truly, her decision had been cemented the moment members of her family had thrown Bree aside because it was the easy choice. At least Harleigh had the courage to choose another path. Now, all she could do was hope Emmett wanted a fresh start as well.

"I won't remain here. With Harleigh, there are many options I never thought could be open to me. Besides, I'd like to experience more magic." Jasper admitted, a small smile sent Harleigh's way.

Harleigh couldn't blame Jasper for his decision. The introduction of magic in Jasper's life had brought with it a break from the terrifying control his abilities held on his hunger. Living amongst witches would provide a new challenge, but he held faith that Jasper would pull through and discover he was more than the hunger within.

Edward spoke before anyone else could follow, "I never considered there were creatures beyond vampires and shifters. To explore a different world filled with magic would be an incredible experience. We wouldn't need to hide who we are any longer."

"Then we'll just bring Bella with us." Alice snapped.

Having Edward agree to go to London seemed to be the breaking point for Alice and her glorious delusion. She could easily accept Carlisle and Rosalie leaving, they had grown negative towards Bella, but Edward was another matter. He loved Bella.

"No, she is not welcome in my home. Isabella Swan stays in America." Harleigh snarled.

"Why? You don't have a problem with Bree!"

"Bree had no desire to have this life forced upon her. Everyone she knows believes she is dead. There is no place for her here. Miss Swan on the other hand has dreamt of this day. Being a powerful, immortal creature, besotted with Edward, that's her dream come true and she's already half way there."

Snarling, Alice took a step towards Harleigh but found Carlisle in her path. Instantly, she backed away knowing what would happen should she continue her path to attacking Harleigh; Carlisle would tear her apart with no remorse.

"I won't leave Bella and Edward shouldn't either. They are in love."

Alice's statement only had Edward shaking his head. "Alice, you have to stop. I thought Bella could make me happy but that is no longer the case. She isn't what I desire."

"If this is about-"

Edward cut her off before she could say more. "No, Alice, if magic was no longer an option perhaps things would be different. Perhaps your visions of all of us being one happy family could come true. But learning control, not having to hear what everyone is thinking, that is what I want right now and moving to London allows me to have that dream. Bella isn't a part of that dream."

The group grew quiet, not wanting to get between the siblings as they argued. It was clear they needed to sort this out, however, before any decision could be made regarding Miss Swan.

"I won't be useful…" Alice spoke quietly after a few moments, fearing her ability to see the future would be clouded because of magic.

"Perhaps, like Jasper and I, all you need to do is learn." Edward suggested.

Alice turned her golden eyes towards Harleigh who only gave her a terse nod in return. It was true she could be taught like Edward and Jasper but given her previous negativity towards him, Harleigh would have a hard time teaching her how to control her abilities.

"Then, I guess, the Cullen's are going to London."

Alice's uncertainty in the statement was only met with Emmett's cheer as he picked Rosalie up and swung her around in delight. Esme smiled at the decision, taking Carlisle's hand hesitantly. Jasper just gave a nod, not ready to welcome Alice back as readily as Carlisle had Esme.

"So you're leaving, what do we do with Miss Swan then?" Sam demanded. "We won't be able to watch Miss Swan every moment of the day. If she slips and kills someone, we won't be able to stop her."

It was a relief they were still willing to have Isabella around even as the Cullen's planned to leave. Of course, not having vampires around would also be a blessing for them, they would have less to worry about. Though, if they thought Isabella Swan wouldn't continue to seek out other creatures, they were fooling themselves.

"Is there nothing you could do to stop her from attacking people?" Jacob questioned, turning towards Harleigh.

"I could bind her vampirism." Harleigh admitted. "It is often done with dangerous creatures who can't or won't control their abilities. Miss Swan doesn't quite fit into that category given she wouldn't even know her own strength yet, and it wouldn't be a complete bind, she would still have access to a few of her lesser traits."

The group frowned, unsettled by the idea of binding the girl without her consent. But they were running out of options.

"We could send her to the Denali coven." Alice suggested. "At least there she could learn to accept her gifts."

The Shifters seemed at ease with that idea. She would be further away from their lands and they wouldn't need to watch her every move. It also meant they wouldn't have any vampires nearby allowing their bloodline to return to its dormancy.

"She could still find us if she wanted to." Rosalie warned.

"Given her fixation on Edward, I would say it is likely she will seek him out as soon as she is able." Jasper agreed.

Harleigh smirked. "She can try to find my house as much as she likes, it won't show her the front door. However, I agree she will eventually turn up in London looking for Edward."

'You will need to be ready with a decision on your feelings when she does find you.'

Edward could only nod as the Shifters shuffled in confusion, knowing that houses didn't usually have thoughts and feelings but accepting that magic was likely involved. The Cullen's, however, were excited at the prospect of experiencing more magic.

"Will this clan agree to take her?" Jacob asked.

"Tanya will accept as a favour. She won't like that the Volturri will be watching Miss Swan's every move but there is nothing that can be done about it now." Carlisle reassured.

Once everyone agreed the group dispersed.

x-x-x-x-x

Two days later, Isabella Swan ceased screaming and opened her eyes to a new world. Harleigh watched as Alice rushed upstairs to greet her friend. She was the only one. Everyone else remained downstairs with the Denali clan in the lounge.

Jasper, Bree, Rosalie, and Emmett were further in the room, not wanting to be near Isabella when she was told she would be leaving. Harleigh sat with Edward and Tanya opposite Carlisle and Esme while the remainder of the Denali clan were close to the door, prepared to stop Isabella should she lose control in anger.

This exchange would not go over easy, but everything had been prepared. The Cullen's were ready to leave, and the Denali clan were prepared to accept the challenge of Isabella Swan and the complication of her living father.

The instant Miss Swan appeared, Carlisle tensed, the desire to move to protect Harleigh strong with Isabella in the room. A newborn wasn't to be taken lightly, especially one who desperately desired to be turned. Isabella Swan was dangerous, and he didn't want Harleigh to be near her even with the others in the room, but this needed to be done.

Harleigh, who didn't want Isabella's attention, merely watched as she took her first breath as a vampire. Yet, her red eyes turned towards where he sat, brow scrunched in distaste.

"You smell terrible, it's no wonder Edward doesn't want you."

Not bothered by her words, Harleigh turned away from her, uninterested in speaking.

"What's the matter, nothing to say? I'm a vampire now and I could rip you apart."

Isabella's smug, boastful words were met with several growls by the Cullen's, causing her to pause in confusion. Edward, however, was the one who stood, placing himself between Isabella and Harleigh.

"Becoming a vampire doesn't grant you power over people you believe are inferior." Edward scolded. "Harleigh could quite easily destroy you without moving. You would do better to avoid insulting those stronger than you."

"It would seem Miss Swan has a lot to learn, not only about her new vampiric abilities, but also about herself." Eleazar said, unimpressed with the girl they were going to be housing.

Isabella frowned, "Who are these people?"

Carlisle stood, ready to reply to her gently but Edward spoke first. "This is the Denali clan, they are going to be taking care of your growth as a vampire."

"But I thought you would be doing that… you would turn me, and we'd get married and be a family… I know Victoria turning me complicated things, but we can still be a family." Isabella pleaded.

"No, Bella," Edward denied. "There was never a plan to turn you or to be this perfect image of a family you have in your head. I'm sorry if others in my family have given you this false hope but this is not going to happen."

Alice hung her head guiltily and refused to look at Bella.

"We are leaving Forks, and you can't come with us. You have family here that you can't simply up and leave without any explanation. It would be too suspicious, and we can't have police trailing our steps, not with what we are, it could reveal our secret."

Isabella could only blink, uncomprehending, at the words Edward spoke. Harleigh could see, she was desperately trying to come up with a way she could remain with them, with Edward, but there was nothing she could do about it. Isabella Swan was not welcome in Harleigh's home.

"Then I will wait a few years, slowly break off contact with my parents and then I can-"

"No," Edward snapped. "I apologize for not making this clearer, but you won't be joining our clan Bella, not now, not in five years, not in a hundred. We aren't mates, maybe I could have been content or happy with you, but you aren't my other half. I'm not about to give into you when my mate is out there, waiting, and I will wait for them as long as it takes."

Red eyes turned towards Harleigh, accusing, "The witch has changed you. You wouldn't be talking like this if he wasn't here. Don't you see! You're under his spell!"

Jasper scoffed. "If Edward was feeling anything false don't you think I would say something?"

"But you've all changed since he arrived!"

"No," Carlisle corrected, "We've grown, since Harleigh's arrival, and in his presence and with his help we will continue to do so."

Isabella's lip trembled with emotion. "But, I could-"

"This is going nowhere." Tanya interrupted. "I think it would be better if we leave."

Carlisle nodded and so with a flick of Harleigh's hand, Isabella Swan's limbs snapped to her side before she toppled over. No one attempted to stop her fall. Eleazar scooped up her frozen form and moved outside, the Denali clan moving to follow.

"Miss Swan will be able to move again in a few hours. There won't be any lingering effects, however, you will need to deal with her newborn hunger and, knowing Miss Swan, many questions." Harleigh informed Tanya as they walked her to the door.

"Thank you, given what I've seen Miss Swan will likely rush back here the moment she can to see where you have gone so make sure to leave nothing behind." Tanya cautioned.

"Don't worry, we won't even leave a scent trail for her to follow." Harleigh smirked.

Tanya smiled. "Good, have a safe travel, Carlisle. I hope this fresh start grants you and your family happiness."

Wishing the Denali clan good fortune, the Cullen's watched as they sped away. It was the end of a chapter in their lives and the beginning of a new one and though they were uncertain and excited, they were glad to do so as a united family once again. Certainly, they still had problems, and there were still rifts but they could work on those as they had once done before.

"Are we ready to leave?" Harleigh questioned, holding out a belt.

The vampires nodded, having all of their possessions packed away in shrunken bags, collected in their pockets, and reached out to take the belt.

"Portus," Harleigh spoke, and with a flash of magic, the group was gone.

x-x-x-x-x

The first few years alone passed through letters, letters so detailed, Harleigh felt he was present in everything Carlisle and Edward experienced. But, as the years went on, the detailed letters dwindled until a mere paragraph was all Carlisle managed. Harleigh's hope dwindled with them.

Never once did Carlisle mention Edward remembering a moment spent with Harleigh. Nothing about a tree and a small child hoping to regain his father, nothing about magic, nothing about green eyes and wild dark hair; Edward simply didn't remember, and as the years passed and he made new memories it seemed less important for Carlisle to push. The only blessing was Edward's continued strength and his control improving around humans.

Just as Harleigh hoped Carlisle would call him home, he turned a young woman named Rosalie. Again, Carlisle pleaded, Harleigh needed to remain away for his safety. Carlisle and Edward alone wouldn't be able to stop her if she attacked and Carlisle desperately didn't want to discover what would happen to their bond if anyone attacked Harleigh. He agreed.

Harleigh moved between continents with frequency and Carlisle continued to turn humans, adding to his collection he called a family. Letters continued to dwindle due to the distance between the pair, until one day all Harleigh sent Carlisle was a single address to a property in London and a request to only contact him when he was needed.

Gone was Harleigh's desire to return to Carlisle, to return to Edward and hope his presence was enough to cause a sudden remembrance. He'd spent long enough waiting and hoping only to be burned by Carlisle's idea of family and his desperate need to protect. Harleigh had grown and learnt what it meant to be an immortal witch; it didn't require the desperate need to cling to the past. He was going to live his life without vampires.

x-x-x-x-x

London, Harleigh learnt, always had an odd assortment of witches. Certainly, there were other countries with large groups of witches living under the noses of humans, but no place brought together such a fantastical array of oddities as London.

Together these magical beings formed Ministries to regulate exposure to the humans. Rules were voted upon and licenses distributed but Harleigh never bothered with them. The London Ministry knew of his existence and on the occasion, he would step foot into their domain, abiding by their laws, but once out in the human world he kept to himself and made certain to not cause noticeable trouble.

It was better this way. To be alone. No one disturbed Harleigh and he could go about learning and growing stronger in the hopes that one day he would be able to protect those he loved. However, that meant finding a family, falling in love, and Harleigh rather doubted he could feel any connection to a mortal, human or magical, after the pain he'd endured.

Yet, on a sweltering summer day whilst walking the streets of London and observing a few curious traces of magic in the area, Harleigh's attention was caught by the sound of cruel laughter. Usually, he ignored such a sound, used to the cruelty men on the streets could cause. This sound, however, came from that of a group of children.

The group consisted of girls and boys huddled around another figure. When they noticed Harleigh nearing, they jeered at the child on the ground before leaving without a care in the world. Their lack of care only caused Harleigh to consider this treatment had occurred before and they had always come out victorious when confronted with adults.

Harleigh's curiosity grew, along with his sadness. No child deserved to be bullied by their peers and neglected by the adults taking care of them. Certainly, it happened, as the years grew with increasing regularity, but Harleigh could only let it be. Their lives would be over and Harleigh would remain the same. But this child, this child had magic and he felt compelled to speak.

"Why do they cause you so much grief?"

The boy startled, still huddled over another unmoving figure. Around him, there were rocks covered in blood, yet, it appeared the child was mostly unharmed apart from a cut to the child's forehead. No, most of the blood belonged to the mangled form of a snake, beaten and broken by the rocks around them.

Kneeling, Harleigh gently touched the child's face, not bothered by the flinch, and allowed his magic to gentle stitch the skin back together. Curious, the child reached up and gently probed the wound on his head before turning suspicious eyes upon Harleigh.

"Relax," Harleigh soothed, "I don't want anything from you in return for the healing. You wouldn't be able grant me what I desire even if I asked."

The child's eyes ignited in challenge. "I can do things, things others can't. It's why they believe I'm unnatural, a devil in human form."

Harleigh frowned. "Is that why they harmed you?"

Eyes cast downward toward the snake, avoiding the question once again. "Could you bring her back?"

Harleigh's mind cast back to a moment when Edward requested the same, only to bring back his father. At the time, bringing someone back from the dead had seemed to be impossible. He'd learnt a lot since then.

"I could but she wouldn't be the same as before. You would be disappointed with the result."

Anger burnt through the boy's eyes but calmed as he thought in silence. Harleigh wasn't going to disturb his thought process, so he remined silent alongside him and waited.

"Could you help me bury her?"

The request was easy to fulfil and together they moved to the park across the road and in a secluded area buried the deceased snake, Harleigh using magic to make sure the child didn't ruin his clothes any further. As they finished and stood in silence, Harleigh noticed the sun beginning to set.

"Will your parents worry if you aren't home soon?"

Anger bloomed in the boy's eyes again. "I don't have family."

The words were brief and clipped in anger, causing Harleigh to glance down at the boy wondering at the sever reaction.

"You have no family? Where do you stay then?"

An angry gesture pushed Harleigh's focus towards a sign, old and worn, but he couldn't pick out what it read from where they stood.

"My parents aren't around. My guardians won't care if I'm late, they don't like me. No one does."

Harleigh nodded in understanding, "My family abandoned me as well."

"You can do such incredible things, far more than me! Why would they abandon you?!" the boy exclaimed, eyes wide in shock, and reaching over to grip at Harleigh's sleeve.

It was the first time the child had initiated contact between them, obviously uncomfortable with touching others and accustomed to being abused in return. Harleigh stood still, not moving forward or jerking away. Simply allowing the tiny hand to shake in concern as it gripped his sleeve.

"He thought he was protecting me from other bad beings in the world. All he succeeded in doing, however, was forcing me to face the bad alone." Harleigh admitted.

The child watched Harleigh an odd expression in his eyes. "I face bad things alone as well."

Harleigh couldn't begin to image what the child had faced. He could however understand being born for magic and yet surrounded by humans; it wasn't an easy path to walk alone, especially without any guidance. However, he wasn't certain he could do anything to help this child regardless of the presented opportunity.

He held no experience dealing with children, having no desire to reach out and attempt to connect with a child. This one, however, had drawn him in, his magic a swirl of anger, hurt, betrayal and tinged with a tiny call for help slowly being squashed by the adults in his life. Leaving would feel like a betrayal, not only to the child but to himself as well. Mentoring the child would take dedication yet would also bring unwanted attention from the Ministry when they realized what he was trying to accomplish in the human world. He would need to think carefully and plan how he wanted to proceed but first...

"My name is Harleigh, what should I call you?"

"Tom Riddle."

- End Part One -

This chapter turned out far from what I had planned. I was rather lenient where Miss Swan is concerned. My original plans were much worse. If you want to know more about my original plan make a request and I'll post it to tumblr. Until then. Part One is done.

~MidnightEmber