#i have been in the fucking spin cycle about them. for (checks calendar) WEEKS?

[zxal]

AU that's been eating away at my brain for the past several weeks that spawned from @cyberdragoninfinity and I being like "what if the yuboys swapped dimensions" -> "do the bracelet girls swap too" -> "they swap but also to different dimensions"

standard yuto & rin are childhood friends and go to you show together; the other characters don't swap dimensions so rin is skip's kid and yuto is yusho and yoko's kid. yuto runs a "performedieval" deck themed around renaissance fair-type actors. rin runs a fire-attribute spellcaster "bellodious" deck themed around hot peppers 🌶️

xyz yuya & celina know each other through school (and yuya knows shay through her by extension) but they frankly Aren't Very Close. yuya runs a "phantom bards" deck with little ghostly animal musicians and celina runs a "lyriline" deck with catgirl rockstars.

synchro yuri & lulu grew up and lived together until yuri decided to steal the duel runner they built together and enter the friendship cup on his own (making him the current champion). yuri runs a plant-type "speedling" deck themed around rapid-growth plants, lulu runs a winged beast-type "windwing" deck with arctic birds.

fusion yugo & zuzu are unlikely friends (in the sense that zuzu isn't "allowed" to hang out with yugo but does anyway). neither of them are supposed to leave DA which zuzu thinks is super unfair, so she sneaks yugo out with her to go check out the standard dimension. yugo runs a "predapuzzler" deck with monsters based on puzzles, toys, & predatory animals, and zuzu runs a "lunalull" deck with flowergirl monsters that bloom at night

[luminnara]

Breeding | alpha!bakugou x omega!reader 18+ ONLY

Summary: deep down, all katsuki wants is to be a father. He’ll never admit it, though.

Just a short lil somethin somethin I wanted to get out of my system!

18+ ONLY AND I MEAN IT

Warnings: smut, pregnancy, knotting, a/b/o, heat/rut

Your heats were always strong enough to kick Katsuki into a rut the second he smelled the change in your pheromones.

You had stopped taking any kind of heat suppressants when you met him, partially because you hated that they tended to make you nauseous and partially because he got grumpy whenever you brought them up. It hurt his ego a little, you figured; after all, Katsuki was about as alpha as they came, with ruts that were so wild and explosive they were practically legendary. He was a big, tough, desirable alpha, the number two pro hero, and despite what seemed like an entire fan base of omegas throwing themselves at his feet, he had chosen you.

You weren’t a hero, or even a sidekick. Your quirk didn’t really lend itself to big, valiant acts of heroism, so you had just foregone that route and chosen a much different career for yourself instead:

Fashion.

That’s actually how you had met Katsuki. You worked for his mother as an assistant, listening to her go on and on about her pro-hero son every day. At first, you just nodded and smiled, going along with whatever your boss said, but as time passed, you started to get...almost invested. You looked forward to listening to her gush about him, and whenever she managed to convince him (against his will, apparently) to grab lunch with her, she would come back carrying faint, lingering scents of campfire and marshmallows, and as time passed, she began to notice the way you tried to drink it in. 

Then, one thing led to another, and Mitsuki was introducing the two of you. The rest was history. 

Now, you had been a mated pair for quite some time, living together in a nice penthouse thanks to Katsuki’s hefty checks from his hero work. You spent most of your free time together, frequently hosting friends and enjoying their company. You had grown used to the boisterous pros your alpha hung out with, and you enjoyed having the likes of Kirishima and Kaminari around. 

Except when you were in heat, of course, and Katsuki made sure that you were completely hidden from the world, that you were his and his alone. He was possessive under normal circumstances, but with a mating cycle involved? Oh, he was incessant. 

“Who d’you belong to, baby?” he cooed in your ear as he rubbed himself against your slick entrance. 

“Y-you, alpha,” you breathed out, voice hitching. Sweat was plastering your hair to your face, your skin feverish as you whined and begged for him. 

You’d been like that all day. You had known your heat was coming up, of course, but not just because of the usual symptoms like nesting and cramps; no, you always knew exactly when you were due to begin thanks to Katsuki. He was better at keeping track than you were, going so far as to mark it on the calendar so he’d know when to take time off from hero work. 

At first, you’d told him it was fine. He didn’t need to stay so on top of things, and he definitely didn’t need to push his work aside for you. But Katsuki wouldn’t even entertain the thought of leaving you home alone to deal with your heats, and ever since you had first gotten together, he spent every single one taking care of you. He’d fuck you senseless, of course, but he also loved bringing you food and water, determined to keep you from accidentally starving yourself, and he always helped you bathe when you eventually got tired enough to take a break from his dick. 

It was incredibly domestic of him, and you were grateful to have such an attentive alpha around...because, after all, when you were in heat, there was really only one thing you could think about. 

“Alpha,” you whined, gripping the sheets. “P-please, alpha, please...”

“Want my cock?” he teased, nudging the head inside. You were dripping wet, slick running down your thighs, and as he felt how hot your pussy was, he let out a low groan. “Fuck, kitten, not gonna last long in you...”

“D-Don’t care,” you moaned, desperate to feel him stretching you. “J-Just want your cock, alpha, please...”

Well, who was he to deny you, especially when you asked so sweetly?

He rolled his hips forward, pushing into your hot core and immediately moaning. “Fuck...”

You took him so well. You always did. It was like you were made for him. 

As he thrusted in and out of you, Katsuki lowered his head, sinking his teeth into your shoulder. Taking you from behind was his favorite way to fuck, but if he kept looking at the way your ass bounced when he pounded into you, he knew he would lose it. He wanted to make you cum at least a couple times before he filled you up, but at the rate things were going, that wasn’t going to take very long. 

Whenever you were in heat, orgasms seemed to wash over you whenever your alpha was fucking you. Just the feeling of his cock ramming into you was enough to have you crying his name, more slick gushing down your thighs. There was nothing you loved more than the feeling of your alpha, and Katsuki was a very, very good alpha. 

“That’s it,” he said, breath hot against your skin. “Gimme another, baby, cum on this cock...”

He reached down, his calloused fingers finding your clit. The moment he touched it, you let out a loud whine, your pussy squeezing around him desperately. 

It was going to drive him mad. 

“T-Tell Alpha what you want,” he managed to choke out, trying to focus. 

“Fill me up,” you moaned, clawing at the sheets. “Breed me, please...want your pups...”

The thought was just too much. Katsuki lost himself, grabbing your hips roughly as his knot began to swell. Picturing you growing round with his pups, your tits heavy with milk...fuck, he just wanted to fill you up over and over again and never let you go.

So that’s what he did. 

A few weeks later, you were pacing around the apartment, nervous as all hell as you chewed your nails. It was a bad habit you had been trying to kick, but right now, you didn’t care; Katsuki would be getting home any minute, and you weren’t sure if you were petrified or ecstatic to tell him the news. 

When you heard the door open and his scent came wafting in, you nearly jumped out of your skin. 

“Hey, babe,” your mate called lazily, kicking the door shut like always before shucking his boots off. 

“H-Hey,” you squeaked, standing in the kitchen doorway. 

At the sound of your tiny voice, he froze, nostrils flaring as he took in your anxious scent. “What’s wrong?”

“I...uh....” you gulped, looking at the floor. You were too scared to make eye contact, even with the man you loved so much. 

“Babe?” he asked, approaching you. His normally rough voice was softer now, red eyes full of concern. 

“Remember my last heat?” you asked, daring to glance up at him. Fuck, he was so big...you were starting to understand why other alphas were so scared of him. 

“Course.” he chuckled. “How could I forget? You were so fuckin’ wet, baby...”

“Y-yeah, well...um...” you turned, heading for the kitchen counter. You didn’t know how to use your words anymore. Maybe showing him would be easier. 

Katsuki followed at your heels, reaching for your wrist. He managed to catch you, but not before you grabbed something and spun back around to face him, the item hidden behind your back. 

“You have to promise not to be mad.” you said, voice wavering slightly. 

“I’m never mad at you, babe.” he growled. “But you’d better fuckin’ show me what you’re hiding.”

Nodding quickly, you squeezed your eyes shut and held your hand out towards him. 

When you didn’t hear anything, you peeked up at him. 

He was staring, his eyes wide. His gaze was focused on the pregnancy test in your hand, chest rising and falling with every breath. 

You immediately panicked. 

“I-I’m sorry!” you blurted, backing up until you hit the counter. “I-I didn’t expect this to happen, it never has before, I don’t know what--”

“Omega.” he interrupted, chest vibrating with a loud purr. “Is that test positive?”

You nodded, tears springing to your eyes. 

Then, the widest smile you’d ever seen lit up his face, and he was sweeping you off your feet. 

“You’re pregnant?” he asked, spinning you around. 

“Y-yes,” you answered, chest still tight with anxiety. 

“Finally.” he set you back down on your feet, his arms still tight around you. “Been waitin’ so long...”

“Wh-what?” you asked, wiping at your tears. “You’re not mad?”

“Mad?” he scoffed. “Why the fuck would I be mad? I’ve always wanted pups with you. Just didn’t know if you were ready or not.”

“Oh.” you let out a laugh as your chest finally loosened up a bit. “I guess I am...”

“Hey.” he leaned his forehead against yours, that purr still rumbling in his chest. “I’m gonna take care of you. You’re mine forever, ‘n don’t you fuckin’ forget that.”

[connywrites]

of flesh and blood 25

start - part [24]

-

"What do you mean, you're not working this week? What'd you do to fuck up this time?" His father glared at him below inherited eyebrows, crystal blue eyes darkening as he stared Gavin down.

"It wasn't me," Gavin muttered despite knowing to always speak clearly.

"It was the android, all right? It stirred up trouble and I'm dealing with the backlash. It's fine. I've been doing great and they don't want to lose me." Continuing to glare at Gavin, his father cut a piece of steak to eat; he hadn't commented on the food, and Gavin was grateful, as it meant there wasn’t anything immediately wrong with the cooking.

"Surprised the damn thing didn't take your place," he retorted, and it took all Gavin had not to snap, keeping his posture straight, chin high, and eyes forward even while he ate.

"That's not how it works. They're partners, not replacements." His dad let out a sarcastic 'huh' under his breath, shaking his head as he looked at the plate when he cut another piece of steak.

"You say that now, son, but what's the unemployment rate now? It's a matter of time until you get booted, too." Gavin knew the idea shouldn't scare him as much as it did.

"Not a bad place you have here, Gavin. And it's clean, too." Of course he'd think that, as he hadn't seen the chaos of broken windows and furniture, since Gavin took the first chance to take care of it asap, alongside the fact he hadn't lived in the house long enough to make a mess of it otherwise. He was grateful for the circumstance, even with how stressful it was already.

"Glad there aren't any boys staying with you. Still can't believe I raised a damn faggot," his father murmured before shoveling more food into his mouth. Gavin did all he could not to wince at the painful slur.

"Nope," Gavin said back, rotating his fork in circles on the plate in lack of an appetite.

"If you're not gonna eat, put it away or toss it out," his father sternly reminded him. Gavin sighed, picking up his plate to save the rest in a Tupperware. It was a good meal he'd managed to make well enough to satisfy his father; there was no reason to waste it.

"Don't you sigh at me, boy. Good to see you're finally making something of yourself." Did the RK900 set this up? He wasn't sure, paranoia digging into his head with a shiver climbing up his spine that made him decide he didn't want to think about it.

"Yeah. Took me a while but I did it," he said with more false confidence as he returned to his seat.

"Better than never. I was starting to lose hope." The words didn't hurt as bad as they had in his youth, but there was no getting rid of the particular disappointment in himself that always came with them.

"You've certainly shaped up. Maybe androids aren't so bad after all," he said with satire, sending a flood of flashbacks of the 900 through Gavin's mind all at once. It made sense his dad would be satisfied; he'd tried to get Gavin to act accordingly seemingly all his life, but an android got the job done and then some.

"You're so quiet. And are you shaking?" His face held the same mixture of anger and disappointment that Gavin was used to. He quickly shook his head.

“Come on, you know better than that,” his father scolded him with a sigh of exasperation. Gavin wanted nothing more than to leave the kitchen and go to bed, sleep or not.

“Sorry, sir.” Nostalgia knotted in his guts as he now had all the more reason to hate speaking and acting such a way. All the while his father had yet to blow up at him, so continued to count his blessings.

“I’m surprised at the cooking,” his father commented as he wiped his fingers off with a napkin, before getting up to put the dishes in the sink.

“That thing teach you that, too?” Gavin was hesitant, but he nodded.

“Gonna be a great housewife someday,” his father said both in mocking to Gavin’s sexuality as well as the sexist view of women should cook, clean and take care of the house. It seemed like Gavin was the perfect fit, in his mind.

“Thanks,” was all Gavin had to say, immediately cuing a sideways glare from his father.

“Manners, too? Wow,” he said with awe, lifting his head and glancing at Gavin with surprise.

“Too bad that thing’s scrap metal now. Guess I could’ve learned a thing or two from it,” he said with a sarcastic laugh that seemed to drain all of the life out of Gavin, and he said nothing.

“I’m taking the guest bed. Gotta be up early to head out tomorrow, but it’s good to see you doing well for yourself.” The ‘compliment’ made his head spin, as he wasn’t used to hearing such a thing, let alone from him—but he decided to take it for what it was, content that he didn’t earn any yelling, for the time being.

“’Kay,” he said simply, not knowing how else to respond and downright terrified of ticking off his father.

“Night.”

“Get your job back on track,” he warned, seemingly out of nowhere, “or we’re gonna have a talk.” Gavin tried his best to hide away his fear, but to little avail as he nodded once, never letting his eyes leave his father’s until he turned to walk down the hall.

-

It was strange waking up the next morning without work on his mind. He’d set his alarm so he’d be up to tell his dad goodbye, even if he didn’t entirely want to, sitting up and stretching as the blankets slid off from his form in the process.

Heading to the kitchen, he wanted to make a point of making breakfast, grabbing bacon, sausage and eggs from the fridge that was still surprisingly full, moving to the stove to start cooking.

Once the food was ready, he spotted his father leaving the bathroom freshly showered, donning the appropriate clothing for wherever he was going to that day.

“Who knew you could look sharp,” he quipped once he caught sight of Gavin with slick hair and freshly ironed clothes; Gavin decided to take it as a compliment rather than an insult, as he didn’t know how many more punches his ego could take.

“I want to hear you got another raise by the time you’re back to work, you hear me? You’re lucky you had vacation days saved up or you might not be so lucky.” Gavin felt small and young, like a scolded child all over again, remembering this exact scenario in a different house in a different place in Detroit; but it was always the same tone of voice, the same glare, the same words. He’d had them scripted in his head by now.

“Yes, sir,” he responded as if it were second nature.

“And get your sorry ass some confidence. Good to see you’re behaving, but I didn’t raise you to be spineless. Don’t tell me that thing scared you into it?” Sarcasm weighed down his words, followed by the familiar mocking laughter Gavin hadn’t heard in years. There was no way he could tell him the truth, but he couldn’t think of a convincing lie, either. In a moment of panic, he wondered what the RK900 would want him to say, squaring his shoulders and adjusting his posture while he stalled in thought.

“I don’t have anything to be afraid of. Don’t worry, dad. I’ve got it handled.” There was no need for bitterness or fear when you could remain stoic, he mused.

“I sure as hell hope you do.”

-

The week felt excruciatingly slow, and Gavin almost went searching for another job just to take up the time. Knowing it was a waste, he did his best to fill his days now full of spare time with TV, games, a workout and a long, refreshing bath, but nothing seemed to hold his attention.

For the most part, he was able to gradually push away the intrusive thoughts, but the paranoia never left him. He thought back to the day the android informed him it had crawled in through the window, then spent fifteen minutes checking all the latches in the house and ensuring everything was locked and the blinds and curtains were all closed. After that, he stood in the stairwell, not quite managing the energy to go all the way to his room and deciding to sit down on the stairs, instead.

It hit him all at once, all over again. Every wound, mark and scar ached as if they were fresh, the words of the android’s harsh, scolding tone echoing in his head with a blur of its crude chastising and insults. The muscles felt constricting as they bunched around his own neck, locking the joints in his shoulders, elbows, down to his twitchy fingertips and aching knees. The scarring along his back made it difficult not to hunch over; luckily 900 had kept him attune to his own posture, and suddenly it made sense why the discipline was so intense. It took everything he had not to flinch, occasionally gritting his teeth with tears welling his eyes as the wounds stung deep and heavy.

He would be so disappointed, he considered when he thought over the calendar of cut hours. Days. RK900's stern voice echoed in his mind with a blend of three overlapping statements, swirling together in a hazy echo that made him question whether he was dreaming or not.

I miss you. He never said that.

“I'll miss our romance.” Gavin's stomach turned sour, and he threw up his morning coffee.

-

Crying never relieved anything, it only made everything worse, throwing him into livid flashbacks of similar events that made him feel the same prior. When he was bound by rope to the chair, or freezing in the bath, or the various times when he was knelt over on the bed with his arms behind his back and rear in the air; selfish hands grazing skin the way only a machine could, precise yet cold in their direct, curt movements.

Until the android's touch was tender, which made him less than certain. That man-made, humanoid monstrosity had dug himself into Gavin's mind with the same plastic fingertips that caressed his skin and ripped it apart all the same.

Longing, desire, hatred, shame. Every day from the beginning, when the android approached him with a face mostly like Connor's, a body of a 6'4" body guard and eyes of a snake, something close the the embodiment of sin slithering through the garden of Eden. The android had let Gavin initially believe he was the one in power, slyly pulling him into the vicious cycle of torture and trauma. Now, he was here, reduced to a sniveling ball of whimpering and desperation on the living room floor.

Nothing helped. Everything in his body ached, outside and in as he reminisced their final days together; the gifts, the mysterious box, the awkward, but relieving sex, trying to understand the way everything in his life was directly controlled and seemed as though anything might change in the blink of an eye.

There wasn't much benefit in keeping the medication -- 500mg of Lugritol, an SSRI intended to be taken twice a day -- so he decided pouring the decaf coffee over the pills in the bottle and chucking it in the trash was the best option.

He felt the terror enveloping him again, and there was only one thing he could think of clearly; he needed to get out of this house.

-

“Well, I know you can petition to get rid of ‘em, but what about keepin’ one?” Hank’s voice was light with his usual coercive I want something tone, earning the signature response of a simple glower from Fowler.

“They’re expensive government equipment, Hank. Not personal house toys.”

“Tell that to the nanny and babysitting models, then,” he huffed sarcastically. Jeffrey shook his head.

“If you can prove to Cyberlife it doesn’t need to be scrapped, maybe we can figure out something. For now, get back to work. I’m tired of being bothered over this shit.” Hank signaled an ‘ok’ sign with his hand, pursing his lips with a nod before leaving.

-

“So, what? You have any personal feelings about bein’ torn up and tossed to the recycling bin?” Hank’s words were meant to bite; it’d been a new angle he’d been trying with Connor for some time now. Tipping a stubborn machine towards its own deviancy was a challenge, but it wasn’t one he was willing to lose because Cyberlife wanted to trash a relatively useful android. He never minded the finer details of android politics, but he felt like there was more potential in the RK800 than being replaced for a better model; they had that idea when the RK900 came around, before deciding the team would benefit from both models, and so was proven to be the truth. Gavin’s underlying predicament only complicated matters, and he wasn’t sure how he’d convince Cyberlife to keep the prototype and toss the upgraded model.

“I feel as though I have failed my missions through and through since the beginning,” Connor responded with uncertainty in his voice, eyes drifting around the room as he processed his replicated ‘emotions’ over the matter.

“I used to do wonders for the DPD, but with every shift of personnel, human or android, I am left further back in the line. I am but a piece of merchandise to them, so I will be treated as such.” Hank knit his brows and shook his head.

“Yeah, yeah, I know all that. I asked how you feel about it, Connor. Do you think it’d be worth sticking around? ‘Cause if not, I mean, I won’t bother…” Connor caught his eyes and held a serious expression with a stern gaze, waiting for Hank to do the same.

“Definitely. I was designed to do this, and this alone. It is the entire purpose of my being. If I continue existing without any priorities, then it’s equally pointless.” Hank narrowed his eyes; he held a personal distaste for when Connor put missions in front of everything else. Over time, he’d gradually been weaning him from the habit, but it’d been a tricky endeavor.

“Screw your design, that’s not gonna matter if you’re ripped to pieces, now is it?” Connor accepted the rebuke for what it was, dipping his head politely in silent acknowledgement that Hank had a point.

“If you don’t give me a good argument, then into the scrapyard ya go. If you don’t care about that, fine, but now’s the time to make that decision, Connor.”

With his vision lowering, Connor was silent, hands folded behind his back as he stood in Hank’s livingroom, still and quiet in thought. Hank watched the LED on his temple rotate and blink, wondering how different it would be to interact with the android if it wasn’t there to signal the three basic responses they were manufactured to represent. It was no wonder ‘deviants’ removed the damn things; he would, too, all things considered.

“It would be easy enough to disconnect from Cyberlife as my tracker would already be deactivated, but with society’s negative view on deviancy, it would be difficult for me to get away with. Even with their permission, the RK900 has left an unfortunately negative impression in my wake. The last thing Cyberlife wants to do is let me go,” he explained, his final statement seeming to resonate personal sorrow. Unsure of what he was experiencing, Connor lifted his head to look Hank straight on with a deep breath that ended in a short sigh.

“Well, no reason they have to. You can come investigate scenes during the off hours ‘til they bring in that new model. Shufflin’ you guys around like playing cards,” he murmured gruffly, shaking his head. He remembered a life without androids, and it was a relatively simple one compared to the tangle the DPD had gotten itself into now.

“I am no competition against whatever the new model will bring.” Hank’s expression fell, but he knew it was the truth.

“Then we gotta figure out a way to prove you’re worth keepin’ around anyway.”

[anavoliselenu]

blood chapter 21

I looked at the calendar on the computer in Justin's office. I counted backwards like I had done six times before in the past minute and a half just to make sure.

I was a month late and by late, I mean… that kind of late.

A month?

I took a deep breath and wiped the tears off of my face.

I had so many mixed emotions going on in my body that I almost couldn't handle them. I knew something was off in Miami. I knew it. I could sense it. Why wasn't I paying more attention? I hadn't been keeping up with the time. Days had turned into weeks, and weeks had turned into months. Now, here I sat, two months… pregnant? Was that possible? I had always been regular and could count my cycle by a calendar. This wasn't good.

It had only been two weeks since we got back from Miami, but I felt like that had been a lifetime ago. With everything going on including the break in, then Justin's health, and then the vacation… sure I had skipped a couple pills—and completely missed the fact that I hadn't started my cycle—but I didn't realize that I was this late. The time had just passed so quickly; with all this shit going on, I wasn't paying attention.

Was I pregnant?

It suddenly made sense. I was tired all the time, and I could barely keep anything down, although, I wanted to eat everything in sight. My muscles were sore and I was having a hard time sleeping. Plus, I was throwing up a lot. I first thought it was food poisoning because those symptoms were the only ones I knew, but that kind of sickness didn't last this long. It was coming together and staring me right in the face.

I was pregnant.

I couldn't even think about telling anyone yet. I had to just make sure for myself. I needed to know undoubtedly. I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself until I took a test. Maybe I was just late for some other reason.

But what about the other symptoms?

I shook my head, trying not to think about it and turned off the computer.

Thankfully, Justin wasn't home since he had gone back to work, so I didn't have to come up with a lie as to why I was going out and all that mess.

I stopped dead in my tracks on my way out of the office when I thought about what I was going to say to him. I had to grip the bookcase so that I didn't fall over. I knew what Justin thought of kids. I knew his position on them; he never hid that fact. What was he going to think now?

"Just breathe, Selena," I whispered to calm myself down. "Just make sure first."

I straightened back up and left the room. I quickly went downstairs and put on my coat, grabbing my keys off of the counter. The entire way down to the lobby, I was trying to control my breathing and stop myself from throwing up. I needed to settle my stomach very badly and added a bottle of ginger ale to the mental list of things I was going to pick up at the corner pharmacy. I couldn't believe that I was actually on my way to get my first pregnancy test. It was the ultimate walk of shame.

Shouldn't I tell someone? Did I need to go to the doctor? Did I need to take any medicine? Oh my God, I had no idea what to do. I was an eighteen-year-old, fucking freshman in college with a gang-boss boyfriend who just had a heart attack. What the hell have I gotten myself into? On top of all that, said boyfriend hated children. Justin was going to flip out.

I wiped more tears from my eyes when the doors of the elevator opened, and went outside. I hurriedly walked down the street with my head down, just thinking and trying to still my nerves. The good thing about Chicago was that in a city as big as this, there was always a drug store I could go to and not worry about people knowing me. If I were in Forks, I'm sure the rumor mill would already be spinning.

I found a place and went inside from the lively streets.

I exhaled deeply and picked up a basket. "I guess I better get to work."

The first aisle I stopped off at was the drink section and got two giant two liters of ginger ale, along with a smaller bottle that I could drink now because I needed it. I nearly downed half the bottle before I was off on my search again.

My hand was shaking as I picked up the first boxed pregnancy test. There were a whole lot of words on it, and the pink packaging was a mask, trying to convince me that I wasn't in a bad situation.

"Is this your first time?" someone asked from next to me. She was a woman of maybe forty and had a warming smile on her face.

"Uh, yeah. Is this a good one?" I held up the test in my hand.

"Get one with words. It's easier." She patted my shoulder. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen," I said. Just the sound of it made me feel horrible. "How old are you?" I asked before I could even stop myself.

She giggled, "I'm forty-three, and I never thought I'd be in this aisle again."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask that."

"It's alright. I know what you meant. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now. I was twenty-five with my first one, and I was terrified."

"I don't know what to do." I felt like breaking down in front of this stranger.

"Does the father know?"

I shook my head. "No."

"It's not as bad as it seems, sweetheart." She patted my shoulder. "Look at me, I'm twice divorced and had a one night stand a couple months ago. Come to find out, I left with more than I bargained for."

"Are you scared?" I asked her.

"Of course I am," she laughed.

"This is just so much for me to deal with." I pulled on my hair. "I have no idea what to do."

"Just breathe. You're not the first one to go through this."

"You're right." I nodded, regaining coherency. "So which one of these should I get?"

"Always try two different brands, just to be on the safe side."

"Okay." I got two and put them in the basket.

"And get some crackers. You might be living off of those for the next week or so."

"Thank you."

"No problem. I have four kids so this is nothing new to me. Are you going to tell the father? Do you know who he is?"

I wanted to snap at her for assuming things, but then I remembered that she had no idea who I was. I should just be happy that she was here to help.

"Once you make sure… of everything, get to a doctor. Is your mother here with you?" the lady asked.

I laughed from my throat and pretended it was a cough. Renee would probably start crying and make it all about her with the "I tried to save you from my mistakes" speech. I'm sure she never thought she would have to use that one with me. She probably wouldn't know what to do, anyway.

The woman left me alone after another minute, and I was standing in the "family planning aisle" by myself, trying to get the strength to move. Every step I took closer to the cash register would be another step towards the possibility that this might all be true. It was basically all a formality at this point. I knew I was pregnant; I just needed proof.

I brought everything I needed, and the whole time I was paying, I felt like I was smuggling drugs or something. I suspected everyone could tell.

I marched out of the store with my bags and as if my eyes were honed on him, I spotted Benny across the street. He was trying to hide behind a hot dog cart, like he was buying one.

Shit! I had forgotten about him.

I started my walk back to Justin's house and checked my watch. He wouldn't be home for another couple of hours, so I had time to handle this alone. Along the way, I could feel Benny following me. I turned around and caught him standing in the middle of the sidewalk, awkwardly trying to hide again.

"Oh, um…" He spun around a couple of times, like he was lost.

"Don't try to run because I'm in no mood to chase you." I stood in front of his massive form. "You can't tell Justin."

"Tell him what?" Benny acted stupid.

"Tell him what I bought. I know you saw me in there."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Ms. Swan."

"Please, just don't say anything."

"I won't." He shook his head.

"Do you think he's going to be mad?"

Benny's forehead scrunched up. "I don't think it's my place to say."

"Just… let me tell him."

"Mr. Justin won't like it if you keep this from him for a long time."

"I know," I sighed, "I'm going to tell him."

Benny nodded. "I won't say anything."

I resumed my walk back to Justin's building and felt a little better now that someone knew besides me.

I got in the elevator and tapped my shoe on the way up. My heart was beating faster as the floors dinged, and by the time I got to the penthouse, I almost didn't want to get out. I had to push myself to go into the hallway. I put my key in the door and walked in.

Immediately, I could hear Esme's humming from the kitchen, along with the wonderful smells of rich marinara sauce.

"Selena, is that you?" she called and stuck her head into the hallway.

I tried to put the bag behind my back clumsily, but it didn't really work. "Yeah, I was just doing some shopping. I didn't know you were coming today."

"I got bored at home, and I had to bring something into the city for Rosalie, so I thought I'd make dinner for you and Justin. I know how much time you've been spending taking care of him, so I'm giving you the night off."

"Well, thank you, but you didn't have to do that." I shifted my weight on my feet and tried to hide the bag further.

"What did you buy?" She wiped her hands on a dishtowel.

"Just some soda and crackers." I went with a half-lie. "I wasn't feeling too well and that's probably all I could keep down."

Esme skeptically eyed me for a quick second. I almost didn't catch it. "Oh, okay." She smiled. "Are you hungry? I made some pasta Bolognese."

"Uh, sure. I'm just going to put this stuff away upstairs."

"Alright, dear." She went back into the kitchen.

I quickly left the hallway and darted up the stairs. I went into the bathroom and looked around for some place to hide my purchases. I took out the soda and crackers, placing them on the counter.

"I should have thought about this better," I said to myself in the mirror.

Justin knew every inch of this bathroom. If something was misplaced or added, he would scope it out. There was no way that I could hide pregnancy tests in here and get away with it. My only option was to just discard them as soon as possible. I realized that I was leaving Esme alone downstairs, but I couldn't help myself. I had to know now!

I read the directions on the three boxes of pregnancy tests that I had laid out of the counter. It took me a while to understand them enough to actually do what I had to do. I tried the first one and set it on the counter.

I paced for what felt like hours. I didn't even bother setting a timer for the five minutes. It took me ten just to get the courage to look. When I finally was able to check, my suspicions were proven correct.

Pregnant.

I took the other two tests and they all say the said the same thing. I sat against the door as I held the three sticks in my hand and quietly cried.

I was too young for this. I didn't know what to do; it was all very overwhelming. For a quick second, certain "options" sprung into my mind, but that only made me sicker.

I sat on the floor for what must have been an hour; I wasn't sure. The more I cried, though, the better I felt. Of course, I was still scared out of my mind, but this wasn't all bad, right? I was… going to have a child. That sounded horribly wrong, but at the same time… right. I was very confused. This wasn't the perfect time to have a baby. Hell, I would have liked to be married and finished with school and with a job and a house. Now what was I supposed to do? Did I have to give all that up? No, I couldn't let this derail me. I was going to finish school and do what I had planned. It might be harder now, but I wasn't going to just throw all of that away.

Justin didn't even like children. How ironic was that? He was going to blow up, but he wouldn't do anything rash. I had to believe that. Would he kick me out? Would he just forget about me? I prayed that he wouldn't—something told me that he wouldn't—but he was going to be mad for sure. I felt bad for thinking those things about Justin, but I had no idea how he was going to react. This could turn out very badly. Charlie was going to kick my ass or disown me—whichever one he could do over the phone best. Renee would probably beg me to come live with her and guilt me into it. That's not what I wanted. What about the Cullens? Esme would be thrilled for sure and Carlisle as well. That brought a smile to my face.

Damn birth control pill. What use was it if the thing never worked?

There were so many questions to sort out that my brain was starting to hurt. I got up off of the floor and washed my face so that I looked somewhat presentable. I grabbed the trash and stuffed it in the bag. I put the sticks in my pocket so that I could throw them down the trash chute without anyone knowing.

I opened the door to the bathroom and saw that Esme was sitting on the bed, reading a magazine.

"Oh, sorry." I skirted out of the room without looking at her. I could hear her feet following me.

"Are you alright, Selena?" she asked me.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry I was in there so long. I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

"It didn't sound like you were fine. Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I'm just going to throw some trash away." I shut the door and quickly put everything in the chute.

When I went back inside, Esme was serving up a large plate of pasta. "Selena, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I just had a really bad day at school." I sat on a barstool. "I got some bad grades back."

"Really?"

No, my grades were perfect.

"Yeah." I shrugged, trying to lie, but I wasn't sure it was working. "I have a big test, and I'm stressing over it. Finals are next week."

"I understand." She set the plate in front of me. The smell was tantalizing, and I wanted to dive in headfirst, but I kept my cool. I ate slowly so I didn't attract too much attention.

Esme hopped up on the stool across from me. "Your finals brought you to tears?"

"I'm fine. I just needed a good cry."

"Well, sometimes we all do." She patted my hand.

I tried not to look at her. If I did, she would know for sure. I kept my head down and just continued to eat.

"I actually came by for a reason," Esme said.

"Oh?"

"Yes, Justin's great-grandfather is coming into town for a visit, and I'm having a party for him."

"Justin's great-grandfather as in… the man who started all of this?"

"The one and only; Nicola Rossini. He's flying in from Sicily for a couple of days."

"Isn't he an older guy?"

"The man is over one hundred, but looks seventy and acts fifty. You can't keep him in one place for long." She rolled her eyes. "And on top of that, my mother is going to be here the same time."

"Oh, where is she flying in from?"

"Pasadena. She lives in a compound out there after she married husband number four, and now that he's gone, she spends all her time in California."

"It must be nice to see your mother."

"It will be, but having those two in the same room together is going to be hell."

"Nicola and your mother don't like each other?"

"We all think they're secretly in love, but they argue like kids. It's gotten pretty bad lately. Last family reunion, I had to literally sit on Nicola's lap so that he didn't get up and kill her."

"Isn't he in a wheelchair?" I asked, recalling stories that Justin had told me about his great-grandfather.

"He has been for the past ten years, but he would have walked just to get his hands wrapped around my mother's throat. She antagonizes him so she only has herself to blame."

"Wow, I can't wait to meet them both," I said.

"They'll love you, but anyway, I'm having a party at one of Justin's places across town and I just wanted to formally invite you. You'll be getting an invitation in the mail, though. I hope you can make it, but I understand if you have to study."

"No, no. I'll be there."

"Good, and you don't have to bring anything." She jumped off of the stool. "Don't worry. It's all being catered. Just dress in something nice. I'm so excited now."

"I can't wait." I was actually kind of excited to do anything that didn't have to deal with pregnancy or crying or hormones or… my future.

"I'll see you soon. Alice and I have some planning to do." She grabbed her coat and almost skipped out of the door.

She left just in time because the food I had just eaten, mixed with the present uncertainty of my life, was enough to make me heave into the sink. It wasn't much, but my stomach couldn't take any more. Did I have to go through this for nine months?

I drank a glass of water and leaned against the counter. I forced myself not to cry anymore because that wouldn't help anything. I needed to think about this logically. I guessed I needed to tell Justin at some point and get to a doctor to make sure everything was all right.

However scared I was, I was starting to want this. I had something growing inside of me, and it was something that we had created. Justin and I were going to have a baby. There was no getting around that.

Suddenly, images of a wide, green-eyed boy flashed through my head. He was small and had a mop of bronze hair with a gigantic smile. I saw him playing in the beach or swinging high on a swing in a beautiful backyard.

Did I want that?

Of course I did. Maybe in ten years, but now? I was too young. I was too inexperienced, but I had to at least try. As much as I wanted to hate myself for getting pregnant, I couldn't. I knew that I had to protect my child. I couldn't explain it. There was this natural pull that I was beginning to have.

My baby.

I was having a baby.

Even though this wasn't the right time, I still couldn't help the small smile that creased my lips at the thought.

"Selena, are you here?" Justin's deep voice made me jump from the counter.

I cleared my throat to make it sound normal. "In the kitchen."

"Hi." He took off his jacket and put it over a chair.

"How was your first day back at work?" I couldn't bring myself to go over to him. I felt like if I was close, he might guess.

"Exhilarating." He grinned. "I finally felt free; like I wasn't locked up."

"You make it sound like I kept you in shackles." I pulled a plate from the cabinet and piled it high with pasta.

"Have I ever said 'thank you'?" I felt strong hands on my hips from behind me and his lips on my neck.

"For?"

"For taking care of me when I needed you. I know I bitched, but you probably kept me alive."

"I need you around," I said. That declaration meant more to me than it did to him right now.

"Well, thank you."

A single red rose crept into my eye line. Even from a couple inches away, the smell was enveloping, and I smiled slightly.

"Is this for me?" I turned around and took the flower from Justin.

"Of course." He smirked and kissed me tenderly, but like all of Justin's kisses, there was a fierceness and possessiveness about it.

"Thank you," I said when he let my lips go. "Does it mean something?" I smelled the petals.

"Yes," he sighed.

"Well…"

"Don't make me say it."

"You're blushing," I laughed.

"You know I love you, but coming from me, it just sounds weird." Justin's green eyes were saying all the things that he couldn't.

"I like hearing it," I goaded him.

"Selena… I love you," he said quickly and quietly, turning his head away from me.

"I didn't hear you." I placed my lips on his neck.

"I love you."

"How much do you love me?"

Justin pulled back from me. "In all seriousness, have I never told you how much you mean to me?"

"I… I don't think so." I was taken aback by the severity of his voice.

"I have never in my life been so protective of something as I am with you. I have no idea how to tell you that because I'm no good with emotional words, but I'm trying. You've changed me… completely. I never thought that I would ever be playing house with a girl that I cared for. I've never been that guy."

"That's so sweet." I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

"Why are you crying?" he chuckled and wiped it away.

"Because…." I shrugged.

"Was that a loving enough statement?"

I nodded. "You're very loving when you want to be."

"But only with you." He kissed me softly.

I wanted to tell him so badly. I wanted to shout it from the heavens and now seemed like the perfect time. I just…couldn't.

"You're still crying." Justin pulled back and handed me a napkin from the counter. "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine." I cleared my face.

He gave me a disbelieving look, but said nothing.

Justin and I sat down to eat after that. I was still starving, and since I had puked my guts out earlier, I didn't think he needed to know that I had already eaten my weight in pasta. I set the rose next to me on the table and tried to use it for courage. Every time I got the nerve to say something, I couldn't. I would freak out on the inside and all these questions would beat my bravery down. I tried to keep up a normal façade, and I hoped that he didn't see right through me. I needed time to think about this.

Since it was his first day back to work, I made sure to keep Justin talking about that. His health was improving every day, and I could see that. He was taking his medication, exercising every morning, and his portions were within limits. I didn't even have to say anything to him anymore, but I still watched out of the corner of my eye. This baby was going to stress him out so much and even the idea of a child was going to be too much.

"So, I have to go out of town in a couple of days," Justin said and took a bite of garlic bread.

"Really? Where?"

"Boston," he answered.

"Again? Didn't you go out there a couple months ago?"

"Yes, but I have a few things to do."

"You're not going to tell me what, are you?"

"Absolutely not. You don't need to know." He gave me "the eye" that told me not to ask.

"Well, it will have to be after your grandfather gets here because…"

"Wait, what?" he interrupted.

"What?"

"My grandfather?"

"Oh, yeah. Esme didn't tell you?" I asked and he shook his head. "Your great-grandfather is coming."

"No shit." Justin leaned back in his chair. "Really? We usually have to go to him for family reunions and stuff. He hasn't been stateside in… two decades."

"She didn't say why, but she's having a party. Her mother's coming to."

"Oh, great. Those two hate each other."

"So I've heard. Is it really that bad?"

"One time, my grandmother pushed his wheelchair down the stairs."

"You can't be serious."

"Yup, and he just kept on rolling. It's actually really funny because you'd think that two old people like them would just die already, but I think they stay alive just to outlast the other."

"They sound fun," I replied sarcastically.

"You'll love them. I wonder why that old bastard is coming over here. It must be important." Justin thought out loud. "I bet Carlisle's in a hell of a lot of trouble. He wouldn't bother flying here if it wasn't big."

"I can't wait to meet him. He sounds so intimidating."

"He's a big softie with a hard on for anything with breasts. I'll have to watch you," Justin joked. "He can be very persuasive."

"I'll be sure to keep my sexual defenses up."

The rest of the time Justin and I were sitting at the table, I tried not to think about the giant elephant in the room that was about to run me over. I was going to tell him; just not now. I couldn't now. I needed at least a week to even wrap my head around this myself. That was all I needed, one week.

I felt a little better knowing that I had seven days to sort my thoughts out and get a speech prepared. I felt like I needed to present some kind of argument, because I knew Justin was going to have something to say.

After we ate, Justin and I cleaned up the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," I said when we were done.

"Are you alright? You've been really sick lately," he replied, concerned.

"I'm fine. I'm just stressing over school." I used the same lie as before.

"Okay," Justin nodded, "go to bed; I'm going to stay up and do some work."

I gave him a sweet, short kiss goodnight, and then went up the stairs to his room.

As I was changing, I glanced down at my stomach. I wasn't showing yet. Should I be? When did that start happening? Was it going to be soon? Could Justin tell? I had no idea, and that only scared me more. Just to be safe, I wore one of his shirts, which was huge on me, but it served the purpose I needed it to. If I could just wear this thing for nine months, things would be so much easier.

I climbed into bed and ran my hand over my stomach. There was a child in there; my child. It was a little boy or girl, who I was going to raise. That made me smile.

I fell asleep easily, because I was so damn tired. Sometime in the early morning, I felt Justin slide into bed with me, and his strong arms wrapped around my body. My first instinct was to jerk away from him, because my wild imagination was telling me he could feel the baby. I settled into him, though, and let the warmth from his chest put me to sleep again.

The next couple of days went by very quickly.

School was ending and tests were being given. I had already taken two of them, so I just had two more to go. My freshman year was wrapping up faster than I could have imagined. Could it be possible that just eight months ago, I came to Chicago with wide-eyed innocence and a certain naïveté about the world? Where was that girl? She had changed so much in such a short period of time. I tried to tell myself that I was still there, just deep down.

I still hadn't told Justin yet. I had four more days as of now, and I needed all that time to think about what the hell I was going to say. Justin was going to literally blow a fuse, and I didn't know how to calm him down. I just needed more time. I don't know why I was so scared, but this was a big change for a man who had a schedule for everything. I threw a massive curve into his straight and narrow path.

Thankfully, I didn't have to think about that tonight. I had something to take my mind off of my pregnancy because tonight was Esme's party. It was just a small thing, but I was kind of excited to meet the man who had basically created this life that Justin lived. I also couldn't wait to meet Esme's mother. Alice had met her when she and Jasper went out to California for Christmas. She only had good things to say.

"What tie should I wear?" Justin asked me from the closet as I was fixing my hair.

"You're asking me for fashion advice?" I laughed. "That's never happened before."

"Well, I'm nervous. I can't really think straight."

"You, Justin Bieber, nervous? I don't believe it."

"You have no idea how human my grandfather makes me feel." Justin was fixing a pale blue tie around his neck in the mirror behind me. "That man is scary as hell when he wants to be."

"He sounds sweet." I went off what Rose had told me.

"Because you have a vagina."

"Score for me."

"He's not mean, he just has a way of cutting off your balls, so to speak. Plus, I don't think he knows Cici is coming."

"Cici?"

"My grandmother; Esme's mother."

"Oh, right."

"This should be an interesting night." Justin sighed, running a comb through his hair. It didn't work in the slightest to tame it, but he tried.

By the time we were ready to leave the house, we were dressed finely. He was in a nice suit and the pale blue tie, while I settled for a simple cream dress and black pumps. I was getting pretty good at walking in these things, actually. I also wore the serpent bracelet that Justin had bought me for Christmas, because I loved it so much and never got a chance to wear it.

The car drove us across town to a nice hotel that Justin actually owned. He never talked about his "real" job, so I didn't even really know what he did. It was obviously apparent that he knew what he was doing though, because the hotel was very impressive and from the looks of it, highly popular. On our way to the elevators, I saw expensive art work and rugs along with chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. It was very nice.

"Why haven't I ever been here before?" I asked him as we rode the elevator up to the penthouse level.

He shrugged. "I don't know. You never asked."

"So when you say you're going to 'work', sometimes you actually have real things to do?"

"Yes, Selena," Justin laughed. "It's not all guns and blood every day."

"Huh, I would have never guessed. You hide your normalcy incredibly well."

"I try." He wrapped an arm around my waist.

When the elevators dinged open, I could hear soft music from down that hall, and it looked like we were going into a museum. There were a lot of people around, all sipping champagne and eating small appetizers. I didn't know a lot of them, but Justin said this was more than just a family gathering. Everyone in Chicago knew Nicola Rossini, so his arrival was a pretty big talking point among the people in these circles.

"Should I be scared?" I asked Justin when he took my coat, handing it to the guy near the door.

"Just don't say anything until he speaks first. I'll introduce you, and then just shake his hand."

We went into the kitchen where Esme was making a platter of vegetables. Justin got me a bottle of water.

"You're making him sound like some monster," I said and took a sip.

"He's like an onion, you have to peel him back layer by layer."

"Not if you use a knife," Esme responded and for added emphasis, slammed a rather large cleaver onto a carrot. The thing split in half without a problem. "What were you two talking about?"

Justin and I backed away from the counter slightly.

"Uh, Mom, you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm just preparing for impending doom." She smiled. "Your grandfather is already here."

"So I take it we're just waiting for Cici?'

Esme nodded and carried the platter into a packed family room.

"She's kind of scary," I observed.

"She gets it from her mother," Justin sighed. "Are you ready?"

"I guess so." I took another sip of water to settle my stomach, and he took my hand.

The party was in full swing. There were a lot of people here, and they all had some sort of connection to the "underground", as Justin said. He kept a close hold on me since he didn't trust any of them. Everyone seemed really nice to me, but what the hell did I know? Rose and Alice were there, trying to calm Esme down, because she was going crazy for some reason. Alec was eating anything he could get his hands on, and Carlisle was making the rounds with Jasper and Emmett.

Justin took a deep breath and led me outside onto the balcony.

A man was sitting with his back to us in a motorized wheelchair. He was dressed in a slim fitting suit that made Justin's look juvenile in comparison. He had a head full of white hair that was coiffed perfectly, and I could smell his deep cologne from the door. It was spicy and strong but not unpleasant.

"If that's my Justin, he'd better be bringing me a cigar," the man said in a husky voice.

"Not this time, old man. I brought you something better."

"And what would that be?" The man's wheelchair swiveled around to face us. The first thing I noticed was his blue eyes, which were sunken into a wrinkly, yet handsome face. He didn't look old at all.

"I brought a young lady I want you to meet. You have to be nice." Justin nudged me forward. "This is Selena."

The man looked me up and down. "Well, I heard she was a fox, but this is almost too much for me to handle." He held out his hand for me. "It's very nice to meet you, Selena."

"You too and please just call me Selena," I said. "I've heard so much about you."

"It's all true," he chuckled. "Sit, sit."

Justin guided me to one of the chairs on the patio. He was saying something under his breath, but I didn't hear it. I could tell that Nicola was a huge flirt. He had that personality about him, and it was working. All I wanted to do was giggle and blush. I didn't understand it.

"Before I get to you, young lady, I need to speak to my grandson," Nicola said to me. "Justin, why don't you call me anymore?" His tone changed. It wasn't stern, but it wasn't sweet like it had been with me.

"A phone goes both ways," Justin replied. "I haven't heard a word from you in six months. I thought you were dead."

"You wish. That way you could get all my money."

"I don't need your money," Justin chortled. "I have more than you, anyway."

"If I didn't have to pee, I would laugh."

The relationship was playing out in front of me. It was a tense, joking sort of thing that you would only understand if you knew Justin. I figured his great-grandfather was the same way.

"Why are you here?" Justin asked.

"I wanted to see my family. I can do as I please." Nicola rolled his eyes.

"Well, you could have warned the western hemisphere that we would be graced with your presence."

"I'm tired of Italy." He pushed his wheelchair over to the side of the balcony and looked at the city. "I've killed everyone there. It's boring."

"You can't move here. We don't want you."

"I wouldn't move here anyway. Your father is the most insufferable human being on the face of this earth," Nicola said seriously with a sly grin. "But I raised the bastard, so I guess I have to take the blame."

"We could never blame you." Esme came out onto the balcony. "Carlisle was just bad to begin with."

"That he was, my dear."

"Is everyone alright?" Esme asked us.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here. Please take your son inside, so I can talk to this lovely lady alone." Nicola pointed at me.

"I don't think so." Justin sat up.

"I'll be fine," I assured him. "Go inside."

"Come on, Justin." Esme pulled him up from his seat. "You can help me."

Now, it was just Nicola and me on the balcony.

"So, Selena, is it?" he asked me.

"Yes, sir."

"Is that Italian?"

"Are you asking if I'm Italian?"

He snickered, "That's what I was getting at, yes."

"I'm part, but not by much," I answered truthfully.

Nicola nodded. "And I take it you know about all of this?"

"Yes, sir."

"How did you find out?"

"Someone told me, and I confronted Justin about it."

"Were you scared?"

"At first. I guess I still am sometimes." I was finding it very easy to talk to him. His eyes weren't hard or abrasive.

"You're very pretty."

"Thank you." I blushed furiously.

"Did Justin tell you to be scared of me?"

"He said I should watch myself around you."

"He's right. I'm a very dangerous man, Selena. I'm a tyrant."

"I don't believe that," I said before I could stop myself.

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't be fooled by my age. I'm the best there is at what I do."

"I don't doubt that."

"Did you know that I built this city?" He rolled around again. "When I came to Chicago, it was nothing more than a pile of horse shit and a couple street signs. It took a lot of work, but I made this town what it was."

I decided not to say anything and just let him talk. It sounded like he was going into speech mode.

"I gave it all to Carlisle and at some point—possibly soon—he's going to give it all to Justin." He turned back to me. "How long have you two been together?"

"Um, around eight months." Had it really been that long?

"And you haven't run yet? I know my Justin can be a handful."

"No, I don't think I've ever really thought about leaving him. I can't." I shrugged.

"You remind me of Esme. No matter how much I begged her to look the other way when it came to Carlisle, she wouldn't. Although, she was born into all of this, so there wasn't really any way to hide secrets from her. I think things are different nowadays. You kids are more daring than we were."

I nodded. "Probably."

"Are you planning on staying with Justin in the future?"

"To be honest, it would be more harm to leave now. I've been with him through shootouts, bloody battles, and a damn heart attack."

Nicola laughed, "I like you. I always said Justin needed a strong one, but I never thought he'd find someone. He's a hard ass. And how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Well then, I see Justin is robbing the cradle now."

"I've always acted older," I said as a way to make it seem not so bad.

"And your father is a police chief?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your story will almost be as good as Carlisle and Esme's. You don't find it unnerving being with someone like Justin?"

"I know a version of him that other people don't, and I love that guy. What he does professionally won't change that."

"Love?"

I bit my bottom lip, slightly uncomfortable talking about my life with Justin. It felt too personal.

"Well, if you can tame him, by all means take him." Nicola patted my knee.

"Will he ever really be tamed?"

"Absolutely not. Justin is a bull and if you even try to cage him, he'll just get more heated. He has a way with you though. I can tell."

"What do you mean?"

"He's very protective. I saw it even in those five minutes you two were sitting out here."

"But he's always like that."

"No, this was different. It was almost…scary if you can believe it. I've never seen that look in his eyes and there wasn't even a threat around. He must always be in a constant state of stress looking out for you."

"Yeah," I sighed.

"When I was growing up, it was either hunt or be hunted. He seems to take after me in that way. Carlisle is softer but very effective. I don't understand it, but he's done more than I did so I guess it works. He's very optimistic of the world. I'm a cynic."

"Justin's that way."

"Of course he is. I taught him to be that way. I always told him that you can become a cop or a criminal. When you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?"

"Those are some pretty strong words."

He shrugged. "I haven't stayed alive this long by just sitting on my ass."

I nodded in understanding.

Nicola opened his mouth to say something, but then tilted his head to the side as if he was listening intently.

"Is something wrong?" I asked quietly.

He hushed me. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

He sat up in his chair and fixed his jacket. "That, my dear, is the sound of the Antichrist. She's finally made her arrival." His motorized wheelchair rolled away from the patio and inside of the penthouse.

I got up and followed him quickly. I went to find Justin who was hugging a very attractive older woman with shocking red hair. She looked exactly like Esme and was just as Alice said—fabulous. Cici was in a floor length fur coat that looked too warm, but I doubt she noticed. Her heels were higher than mine, and her neck was adorned with diamonds.

"Grandma!" Emmett pushed past me, and his big body almost skipped over to her.

"There's my big bear." Cici hugged him tightly. "I've missed you so much. Where's Jasper?"

"Right here, Grandma," he said from behind her. She ran into his arms. "Did you bring me a present?"

Justin came over to me. "That's my grandmother."

"She's the most amazing person I've ever met," Alice said in admiration, coming out of nowhere. "I want to be her when I grow up."

"Should I go say something?"

Before I could even think about moving, Esme brought her over. "And this is Selena." They looked almost identical.

Cici wrapped her arms around me, the heat from her fur coat was stifling. "I can't believe it. My Justin found someone. Come sit down." She pulled me towards a group of couches. "So tell me everything."

"Everything?" I asked, trying to keep up with her energy. She was moving so quickly that it was hard to understand her. Thankfully, Justin sat next to me.

"I want to know everything. How you met, where you met; all about you. You're so pretty. Is this your natural hair color?" She ran her fingers through my hair. "I've thought about dying mine."

"Mother, you're too old to dye your hair now." Esme sat on the arm of the sofa. "It's already that unnatural, horrid red."

"It's there to hide her horns." Nicola rolled into our group. "Hello, Cici."

"You're still alive?" She rolled her eyes, pulling off her coat. "I could have sworn I killed you years ago."

"I'm sticking around just to torture you."

"Of course." She tipped her glass, which was filled to the brim with a Bloody Mary. She drank the whole thing in a couple seconds and chewed on the piece of celery.

"Still drinking I see." He tightly smiled.

"It's the only way to get through these amazing family get-togethers." She waved a waiter over. "Honey, I need a martini and don't waste any space with those olives."

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded, scurrying off.

Before anything even got started, a lady came up to our group. "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but notice your coat. Is it real fur?" She asked Cici.

"It sure is," she replied.

"You should be ashamed," the lady scolded. "Do you know how many animals had to die for that ugly thing? I'm a part of an animal rights group and Esme actually donates a lot of money to our cause. I just don't understand how you can be so cruel."

"Yeah, well stretch pants don't ever make anyone look good, but I'm too much of a lady to say anything, fat ass," Cici replied, eyeing the woman's pants.

The lady turned her nose up and stomped away.

"Mother," Esme whispered harshly and followed her.

"Oh, and that blouse hurts like a hangover." She shouted, "Some people, I swear…"

"She can get you with a comeback for anything." Justin whispered to me, "Watch, Rose is going to try next."

"Wow, Cici," Rose turned her face up, "All that booze seeping out of your enlarged pours in making me a little tipsy."

"Oh, sweetheart, they aren't enlarged; they're just in shock over that hair color." Cici patted her knee affectionately.

"She's the best," Justin chuckled.

"You're so uncouth." Nicola shook his head.

"Why are you still talking to me?"

"Because if I don't hear your voice, I don't if know you're alive. You have so much Botox pumped through that face of yours, you look like a leather sofa."

"Honey, I'm fabulous. I'm an incredible dresser, I've got buckets of money, I'm a hoot and a half, and I got a killer rack. Say what you want, but we all know you want to pound me." She superiorly sipped her martini that seemed to come ridiculously fast from the waiter who just appeared.

I sat there with everyone else, and it seemed as if this was going to turn into a shouting match. Both Cici and Nicola were glaring at each other with evil eyes. The fire between them was white hot.

The family gathered and talked for about an hour, with me somehow—more than I would have liked—being the central topic. I guess I was the shiny new toy. Cici kept the drinks coming, but was never drunk. It was amazing how much could ingest. Cici and Nicola were hilarious. They would jab each other with such low blows that I sometimes wondered why we all weren't in therapy. He would comment on her drinking, and she would always bring up his age. Then, he would say something about how she was a gold-digger and she would, in turn, call him a manwhore. It was great fun.

Carlisle and Esme just watched them like they were children. Justin found it all very funny, and everyone else was just along for the ride.

"…And then I told him that I wouldn't go to Europe with him, even if he did marry me." Cici completed her rather stirring story about how she almost bagged husband number five.

"You're so adventurous," Rose said.

"I try. I refuse to live my life in a shoe box."

"Right, because that massive estate you stole out in California is too small for your giant head." Nicola took a sip of his brandy.

"Don't you have an underage waitress to seduce?" Cici shot back.

"They come to me. I don't seduce anymore. I don't have the strength."

"As much as I would love to sit here and watch another battle, you two are exhausting me." Carlisle stood up, taking Esme with him. They started making rounds again.

Emmett and Rose left a little while after that, followed by Jasper and Alice. Nicola wouldn't let Alec go, because they were having male bonding time. I guess he had a new grandson to get to know. I saw them walking—well, Alec was, anyway—around talking. Justin wouldn't leave me, because he said he didn't want me alone in the war zone.

"So, what about you?" Cici asked me. "I hear you're still in school." She lightly drank her vodka cranberry.

"Yes, at Northwestern."

"I used to teach there, myself, when I used to live out here."

"Don't let her fool you, Selena." Nicola rolled by in his wheelchair. "She used to suck the Dean's dick. That doesn't count."

"Go jump off the roof," she shouted as he scooted away, and then smiled tenderly at me. "What are you studying?"

"I'm not really sure yet. Right now, I'm just taking a bunch of classes to see what I'm interested in."

"That's good. I like her, Justin."

"I like her too," he replied.

"When are you two getting married?"

"Never," he said before I could even understand her question. "You know I don't believe in marriage."

"Well, I know, but I always thought that if you found…"

"No, marriage is always a failure. Statistically, it never works."

"That's not true, sweetheart."

"So says the woman who's been married four times, going on five."

"What about your parents? They've been through everything and haven't wavered in years."

"They're anomalies. It never works," he said finally.

Well, this was fucking news to me.

I wasn't even thinking about that right now, but maybe I needed to since I was having Justin's baby. But lo and behold, it didn't even matter because he didn't want to get married… ever. I didn't want to pressure him into anything, but it would have been nice if I had an option. It was obvious that he wasn't going to falter on his views.

"Don't listen to her, Justin. You do what you want." Nicola trolled by again. "The harpy has no idea what she's talking about."

"If you roll over here one more time, I'm going to push you over the balcony," Cici snapped. "Go die already."

"You're a skanky whore."

"I'm tired of smacking you so just bang your face against my palm."

Just to annoy her, Nicola got extremely close and stared at her. "I can do as I please."

"Okay, sweetheart, rule number one. Unless you're served in a frosted glass, never come within four feet of my lips." She put her finger on his forehead and pushed him backwards.

"I will kill you, woman." He angrily scooted off with Alec chasing after him.

"Your grandparents are a mess," I whispered to Justin.

"You have no idea."

I sat across from Selena at the breakfast table, watching her practically chew her bottom lip off.

I was presently droning through the first family breakfast together in what must have been years. I couldn't remember the last time I had my mother's French toast, but the arrival of my grandparents had brought us together. Of course, it was like a war zone around here lately with Cici and Nicola trying to outdo each other at every turn, but at least no one had died yet.

Currently, I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on with Selena. She looked like she was always thinking. I knew something was wrong, but I hadn't had the chance to ask her in private yet. She said she was worried about finals, so I took that as her explanation as to why she looked so out of it.

I wished I could read Selena's mind, because I'm sure there was a lot going on in there. What wasn't she telling me? I wasn't stupid, and I knew she was covering something up. I didn't want to push; I figured she needed to think out whatever was going on. It would be better if she came to me, but if she was in danger, I wouldn't stand for not knowing. I would give it another day or so before I demanded an explanation.

"Hey, boy. Are you listening to me?" Nicola slapped the back of my head.

"Yeah, what do you want?" I was brought back to the bickering around the table.

Before he could speak, Cici stepped in from down the table. "Don't hit my grandson, you bastard. Apologize."

"I don't apologize, and I can do what I want. He's my grandson too."

"You need to be rotting in a jail somewhere."

"I hate you."

"Aright, alright. Just take a breath." I diffused the situation. Everyone was in their own conversations, leaving me to deal with the two old geezers.

"Go drink yourself to death," Nicola snapped.

"Honey, I would suck the alcohol out of a deodorant stick to get away from you." Cici turned away from us and went back to talking to Alice.

"Why are you always creating trouble?" I asked my grandfather.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He sipped his coffee.

"Just have sex with her and save us all the dramatics."

He raised an eyebrow as if he was contemplating the idea, but didn't say anything.

"What were you talking about before?" I asked, trying to get back on topic.

"Oh, I was saying that I'm taking everyone to the races this afternoon."

"Really, the horse races? We haven't done that in a long time."

"I miss it. The only thing we have to bet on in Sicily is which prostitute will die from some venereal disease first."

"You make it sound like you're living in old world Italy. You know that's not how it is."

"What do you know? The last time you were there, I could walk." He hit his now defunct legs. "I hate this chair. It makes me limited to the fucking downstairs."

"I was there last year, or does your memory not go back that far? And you don't need to go anywhere but the bathroom and in front of the TV."

"Shut the fuck up," he chuckled, finishing off his coffee. "Anyway, before I leave in a couple of days, I wanted to take us out."

"I have to leave in a few hours." I checked my watch.

"You still going after Aro's boys?"

"Yeah, I tracked them to secluded compound in Maine. We're going to go pick them up tonight. I just got word that they moved from Boston yesterday. They're on the run."

"Maine, eh? You young kids these days have it so easy. Back when I was your age, I had to actually do some muscle work to kill people."

"Let's not go down this road again. I don't have time to relive the glory days with you."

"I'm just telling you how it was."

"This is why no one likes you. You can't ever just be happy for someone else."

"Damned straight. I'm a wanted man in fifteen countries, including this one, and my enemies far outweigh my friends. I'm just waiting for someone to put a bullet through me."

"We all can't wait for that," Cici said and tipped her martini glass in his direction.

"I cannot stand you," he replied pointedly, "Go choke on another dick and die."

"Go change your colostomy bag, you old fart."

They continued to argue, and I slipped out of my seat, going around the table to sit in the one next to Selena, which was occupied by Alec. I pushed him out, and he grumbled as he moved to another chair.

"What are they talking about?" I asked Selena.

"They're trying to figure out if Alec is gay or not." She shrugged.

"I'm not gay," he argued.

"Here's a test." Emmett thought. "Okay, there's a penis and a vagina in a house. And it's on fire. Which one do you save?"

"I hate all of you." He ate some bacon from his plate. "I spent the whole vacation with Jane and you're asking if I'm gay?"

Jasper and Emmett were having too much fun with their teasing. I was more concerned with Selena.

"What's going on?" I asked her.

"Nothing," She smiled. It wasn't a real one. "I'm just sad to see you leave tonight."

"I'll be back tomorrow."

"I know." She took my hand under the table. "I'll still miss you, though."

"Are you okay? You've been quiet these past couple of days."

"I'm trying to keep my mind on tests." She was lying; I could tell.

"Well, today you're taking a break. We're going to the races."

"The races?"

"Horse racing, outside of the city. Nicola's going to take us."

"Shouldn't he be staying inside? Aren't the police after him?"

"They've been after him since the seventies. One day out in the open won't get them any closer to their goal."

"You boys are so daring."

"We try. Are you up for going out? Are you still sick?"

"I'm fine. Stop worrying about me."

"Alright."

"When are you leaving?" she asked and took a small bite of toast.

"Tonight."

"And where are you going again?"

"You don't need to know all that. Just know that I'll be back tomorrow morning, and I'm going to handle everything. You don't need to worry."

Selena nodded. "Just be safe. I don't even want you to tell me what you're going to be up to."

"I wasn't planning on it."

We finished breakfast, and then Nicola made the announcement that we would all be going out for the day. There was a roar of protests from around the table. Cici wanted to stay in and drink, Emmett and Jasper wanted to play an Xbox game, and Esme was in the mood to cook some more.

Nicola then went on his rampant about the "death of family values". I just sat back and stayed out of it all. I didn't care one bit, because I was leaving on a private plane to Maine at seven tonight. Alec, Emmett, and Jasper were supposed to come with me, but it they weren't ready then I could certainly handle this alone. But before all of that, I had to have family time.

Carlisle was becoming more and more worried about having his grandfather out in public. First of all, Nicola was a dangerous man—worse than any of us—and a simple thing could set him off. Of course, he knew how to disguise the monster inside, but it was still there. Secondly, my great-grandfather, like he said, was wanted in a slew of countries. The Feds here had been on his tail since he left decades ago, and the only reason he was allowed to travel was because of his "decoys". They were men whom he hired that looked exactly like him. They were actors, but had been playing their roles for years. According to anyone watching, Nicola Rossini was sitting on his porch in Sicily eating chicken rotini, not in Chicago with his family.

When all was said and done, the plans were set to drive out for the first race of the spring season. It was unreasonably warm and a good day for horse betting. Dressing nicely was a requirement, and I was trying to put a smile on my face for Nicola. I would rather just sit and watch TV until I had to leave, but he wouldn't hear of it.

I opened the door of my BMW for Selena, and she slid in. Alec got in the back. I went to the other side and got situated, loving the way the leather seats adjusted to my body after all this time away. I drove for the first time solo yesterday and was almost giddy with needed pleasure.

"I don't know how I survived without driving." I sped out of the driveway, following Carlisle.

"Who exactly gave you your driver's license?" Selena held on for dear life.

"I paid the guy off who was administering it. He didn't know what he was doing anyway."

"And who taught you how to drive?" Alec slid across the backseat when I made a particularly sharp turn.

"Jasper."

"That's the problem, I see." Selena tightened her seatbelt.

"He learned from Emmett."

"So, where exactly does the trail lead?" Alec asked. "I'm going to need to learn soon and I want to survive."

"I'll teach you." A grin crept on my face at just the thought of it. I was going to make him shit his pants when the time came.

Selena tried to convince me the whole time to slow down as we made the one hour drive further outside of the city, but I was just getting my racing legs back. Emmett and I ended up trying to outdo the other, but of course I beat him easily in my superior German automobile.

"You cheated." Emmett stomped over to me when I screeched to a halt in the packed parking lot.

"Prove it." I went over to get the door for Selena. "You can't expect a big ass Hummer to beat a compact."

"I could if the driver wasn't a sneaky cheater," he pouted. "Just wait until I get my Ferrari."

"Whatever you say,"

"Will you fuckers stop arguing? We're in public." Nicola rolled away from our group.

"Can someone watch him?" Esme stumbled to catch up. "That man is going to roll over a cliff."

"Let him." Cici smiled.

The race track was buzzing with anticipation and enthusiasm. Ladies wore big hats, and men were trying to one-up each other in their finest suits. This was just a big party for them. The races were as much for entertainment as they were for business deals. I knew Carlisle would put his best foot forward today. Nicola worked his magic and got us a private, covered room overlooking the track, which was already filling up with patrons. The room fit all of us easily, and lunch was about to be served.

"Okay, so everyone's going to be drunk," I told Selena and took her coat. "Don't talk to anyone."

"But they all look so nice." Selena waved at the guy who was seated below us.

He nastily winked. I flicked him off.

"I told you." I pulled her away from the room so that we could go place our bets.

"Isn't this illegal?"

"Nope. For once, we're doing something by the book."

"How do I win?" She asked when we were at the counter, trying to push our way up to the front of the line. The whole draw about this particular race track was that it tried to replicate the older days. Tellers, instead of the automated machines, took all the bets, and the horses were only the finest breeds.

"You've never bet on anything before?"

She shook her head. "Not even in poker. Charlie and I just played with M&Ms."

"How cute," I replied sarcastically. "Alright, so you're betting against the other fans, and you set the odds. You are not betting against the track. If you try to do that, you'll lose every time."

"I forget you own a casino. What else?"

"You have to learn the track." I grabbed a paper off of the table in front of us. "Learn which horses are bet to win."

"I don't know any of these horses." Selena looked them over.

"Thankfully, your man always keeps an eye out."

"Of course you do. Which ones are the best?"

"Blood Brother and Waverunner are doing well."

"Waverunner? Who would name their horse that?"

"When you get a horse, you can name it whatever you want."

"Well then, let's pick those."

We went up to the teller who was waiting patiently for our bets. "Hello, sir. What can I do ya for today?"

"What's your wager maximum?" I asked, pulling out my wallet.

"Twenty thousand dollars, sir."

"I'll put ten on Waverunner and ten on Blood Brother." I handed him my credit card.

"Justin, you can't spend that much money," Selena whispered. "That's insane."

"That's betting. If we win, we take in double that."

"How would you like to bet them, sir?" the teller asked.

"Uh, basic bet on Blood Brother and place on Waverunner."

"What does all that mean?"

"A basic bet is when you gamble on one horse; if it wins, then you win. Place is if it comes in first or second."

"You're a very confident player. What if we lose?"

"You can't be a pussy gambler, Selena. That's how you fail." I took our tickets from the teller and made the walk back down the hall.

We met Alec on the way, and he asked me if I could help him place his bets. I took Selena back to the room, and then dealt with him, explaining exactly what I had a couple minutes earlier. He ended up being the rebel and placing his money—correction, my money—on the weaklings of the pack. He figured he would take a chance. He was going to lose badly, but I was over trying to convince him otherwise.

When we went to the room, everyone was eating lunch and talking. Cici and Nicola were arguing; all was as it should be. One person who wasn't where I left her was Selena. She was on the balcony overlooking the track with a douchey-looking guy with blonde hair. She looked extremely uncomfortable, and that might be because the dick's hand was on her lower back.

"Who the hell is that?" I asked Emmett.

"Oh, one of Dad's friends came by. That's his son. We went to school with him… I forget his name."

"And you couldn't watch her? You're useless." I made my way outside and didn't even bother with formalities. I took the guy's hand off of Selena and twisted it until I heard a crack.

"What the hell?" the guy grumbled. "Get the fuck off of me." He pushed my shoulder.

I could tell that I was back to my old self when I broke some dude's hand from just touching Selena. He should have known better, and my philosophy nowadays was to just kill and take the consequences later. If that came with problems, then I would deal with them. Maybe this guy didn't know, but he would never forget that Selena was untouchable for him.

"Don't put your grubby hands on her." I pulled Selena behind me. "Go back to wherever you came from."

"I've never liked you, Justin."

"I have no idea who you are so get the fuck out of my face before I put a bullet through your skull."

"What's going on out here?" The engine from Nicola's wheelchair made a soft hum as he came out onto the balcony.

"I was just talking to her. You didn't have to break my hand."

"You were touching her. That's a big difference," I growled. "Learn your place."

"He was touching her? Absolutely not." Nicola rammed his wheelchair into the guy's shin. "It's time for you to leave. Go on." He kept backing up and moving forward.

"Stop it, old man. I'm going, I'm going." The guy clutched his hand and his now bruised shin as he hobbled out of the room.

"Stupid kids." Nicola rolled his way back to the family. "That's the Italian way, son," he shouted back to me.

"Are you alright?" I asked Selena.

"I'm fine. I tried to tell him to leave before you got here."

"I can't leave you for five minutes."

"Well, some of us don't have guns or motorized wheelchairs to defeat the creeps."

I took Selena inside so that we could eat lunch before the races started, and then everyone went down to the floor. We could see better from there. Of course, Carlisle put money on all the horses and was planning on pulling in a big haul.

When the first gun sounded and the horses took off, you could almost feel the ground vibrating under their thunderous hooves. We were so close that the dirt from the track was flying up in our faces; it was rather exhilarating.

After the race, Selena and I won on both accounts, since Blood Brother came in first and Waverunner came in second.

"I told you I knew what I was doing," I said to Selena.

"That was exciting. Let's do it again. I want to pick the horse this time." She pulled me back up the stairs towards the bet tellers.

We placed bets on the next set of horses, and I let Selena choose. I kept my mouth shut, even though it was killing me to see her putting money down on the wrong ones, but I didn't say a word. Alec came up to join us and this time, listened to me after his horrible past track record.

When the second races finished, I had still made money off of Alec's haul. Selena, actually, didn't do so badly since her horses came in third and fourth. Nicola was the big winner of the day, even though he didn't legally bet on anything. He had found some rich lawyer, and they did a little under-the-table dealing, gambling on the horses away from the practicalities of the law. I think he made something like four million dollars in an hour.

"Do they do these every weekend?" Selena asked as we walked away from the tracks and towards the cars, our pockets filled with money vouchers. When you were dealing with cash like this in such large sums, it was mailed, so it would be at least a couple days before I saw my earnings.

"Almost, although, that was a small one."

"A small one? They get bigger?"

"Maybe I'll take you to Saratoga soon."

"I want to just beat Alice's horses. She got me every time."

"I think you've caught the gambling bug. I'll have to watch that." I opened the door for her.

I drove her to my parent's house and after a short goodbye kiss, was off again towards the airport with Alec, Jasper, and Emmett following me. Selena was strangely agitated with me when I told her that I had to leave so quickly. She wanted to talk, as she put it, and I promised we would get the chance when I got returned. I planned on being back tomorrow, just like I said, so I didn't even bother packing anything. I had a gun, and that was it.

The plane was ready to go when we pulled up, and the whole time I was itching to get myself knee deep in some Volturi blood. I hoped Aro had said goodbye, because both of his sons would be dead within the next twenty-four hours—hopefully, tonight.

"So, how are we going to do this? We bringing them back here or just ending them there?" Emmett asked from next to me on the plane as it took off.

"Why move bodies when you can just finish everything in one place?" I shrugged. "It's easier that way. They won't see us coming, so it won't even be a problem."

"Do you think the four of us can do it alone?" Alec asked.

"Just make sure you're shootin' straight, little kid." Jasper ruffled his hair.

"Where are they, anyway?" He asked.

I pulled out the piece of paper that was in my suit jacket pocket. "A small town right on the border… Saint Francis. Supposedly, they're staying in the house that belonged to Athenadora's parents."

I unfolded the large maps that I had brought with me.

"And he has floor plans? Genius." Emmett clapped his hands together. "Where do you get this stuff from?"

"I have my ways," I replied cryptically.

We got to work and planned the four-man storm of a mansion that was probably crawling with security. Aro had probably beefed the place up, because he knew what was coming. He had approved something that was illegal in my eyes, and I had even told him so. If I wasn't derailed by that damn heart attack, I would have already killed his sons. Alas, I was human and had to rest, but there was no holding back now.

By the time the plane landed in some small ass airport in rural Maine, attack strategies were made, and we all knew how this was going to go. The Cullens were very technical when it came to warfare, and we rarely lost. This was going to be tough, but needed to be done.

"Do we have uniforms?" Alec asked when I handed him a bag from the overhead compartment.

"That's all you need," I answered. "Black jeans, black coat, black shoes, gloves and silencers. We can take them all out if we stay in the shadows."

"We haven't gone covert in years," Jasper replied happily. "This is sweet."

We changed and looked like a bunch of fucking renegade G.I. Joes, but it would work for now. A car was waiting on the tarmac, and it was freezing cold. This stupid state must have forgotten that it was April, because there was a thin layer of white snow on the ground and flurries were getting stuck in my hair.

Emmett took the driver's seat of the black Mercedes that was parked, and we piled in after him.

The sleepy town of Saint Francis was made up of three stoplights and a general store. That was seriously all there was. Surprisingly, the suburbs of the town were filled with large, New England mansions and stone castles. It was a nice looking place to grow up and raise a family, if you were into that type of shit.

"Take this next right," I instructed Emmett.

"When should I kill the engine?" he asked me.

"Keep going until the next street."

Emmett went at a slow speed of twenty as he surveyed the landscape. It was eerily quiet and any movement was suspect for evil. There were mountains on our right, and the Canadian border on our left. We were smack dab in the middle of fucking no-man's-land.

"Cut it," I commanded and the car suddenly went silent. We were parked in a small thicket of trees near the house, and I could already see the security lights that were flooding the dark sky.

"How the hell do people sleep with those things on?" Jasper snapped the magazine of his gun in place.

"There's no one for about a mile in each direction," I said.

"Good, then they won't hear the screams." Emmett cracked his massive sausage fingers.

"Can we not get sloppy? Let's just get in, and take it from there." I laid out the plan.

"I take it you want the two fuckers for yourself?"

"I want Demetri; whoever gets to Felix first can have him."

"And anyone else in the house?"

"We leave no survivors. You know the rules."

"We're so going to hell." Alec got out of the car and shut the door quietly.

We kept our guns low to our sides as we crept through the forest towards the house. Our feet crunched in the snow softly, breaking up the complete silence around us. Emmett kept using stupid hand signals, but no one knew what the hell he was trying to say.

"What is wrong with you?" Jasper whispered. "Are you having a seizure?"

"I'm doing the thing they do on TV."

"That only works if everyone knows what you're saying, jackass."

"Will you two shut up," I snapped.

Our first causality of the night was a large guard, who was patrolling. Alec took him out with a very well placed bullet to the back of the skull, and I caught him before he fell, guiding his body softly to the ground. I threw his large gun over my shoulder, and we kept it moving. The next guy down was a similar security guard that Emmett struck out easily, taking his gun as well.

By the time we reached the front gates of the mansion, we had killed ten guards and amassed a large collection of firearms. This was all done silently and without a single hitch. There was a booth right at the gates, and I busted the door down on a very unsuspecting lookout.

"Open the gates and cut the lights," I pointed my Eagle at his head.

"Who are you?"

"Just open the gates and cut the lights," I repeated.

He fumbled on a switchboard and the large floodlights above shut down. The bulky metal gates started to creak open. I shot the guy before they were done moving, and he slumped in the chair, his blood splattering over the walls.

From there, it was basically a straight walk up the long driveway—under the cover of blackness—to the door.

"Now what?" Alec asked, "Do we just bust in?"

"I don't know." I looked around, examining the surroundings.

Emmett took the lead, putting three holes through the lock, and the wood splintered around the door handle. The silencer on his gun made the shots hushed. He tried to open it, but nothing happened.

"Did you really think that would work?" I spat. "We're wasting time."

"We have to go around back." Jasper started making his way to the side of the house.

The security was tight, and we eventually had to push Alec up the wall of the house. He reached the second floor before he got in. It was really funny to watch him shimmy up the drainpipe, but he was the smallest out of all of us, so he was the only option. He busted out a window, and I was actually surprised that an alarm didn't go off or something. Either Aro was getting careless, or he was setting a trap. I kept my eyes open after that.

It took Alec a couple minutes for him to let us in through the door, but we finally made it.

"No one leaves this house alive besides us," I said lowly in our huddle. We broke and took separate paths through the house.

I climbed the stairs, not caring about anyone else besides my target, and made it to the second floor. The place was huge, and there were so many rooms that I didn't know the best way to logistically check them all. I settled for listening at each door for movement.

I was at the last door on the second floor when I heard the rustling of sheets and a murmur from the other side. Whoever was over there was going to die, regardless of their identity. I banged through and a girl squealed, pulling a sheet over her chest. Another girl was lying naked at the foot of the bed. Felix popped up, surprised and caught off guard.

I fired precisely at one of the girls, my bullets tearing the pillow to shreds. When she fell off of the bed, I went onto the other girl, putting two bullets right in between her terrified eyes.

Felix was reaching for the gun on the nightstand but was too slow. I decided to get theatrical and switched to a semi-automatic, spraying a round of bullets in a lateral motion. There was a lot of flashing from the firing, but barely any noise from the silencer that was muffling the gun.

I saw Felix's body flail around on the bed as he became Swiss cheese, and his blood stained the pristine sheets red. When I was satisfied, I stopped my firing. There were goose feathers flying everywhere, and the smell of fresh death was overpowering. The girls were respectfully dead, only having a couple of holes in them, but Felix was demolished; torn to pieces.

I tried to stop the grin that sneaked onto my lips, but I couldn't. I left the room, shutting the door behind me and continued on my trek through the house.

I went upstairs to the next floor where I found Emmett strangling the hell out of a guard, who was almost his size. He easily outdid him, though, and dropped the lifeless body to the floor.

"This is a lot of work. I hope you're pleased," Emmett groaned.

"Felix is finished."

"Shit. I wanted that bastard."

"I was the first one to find him." I shrugged.

"And you get Demetri? It's like Christmas for you."

"Yeah, well next time Rosalie has a family of gang members after her, you can take the reigns."

"Dickwads, Demetri is waiting." Jasper flew past us into a room down the hall. Emmett and I followed behind him.

Demetri had his hands in the air, still in bed and Alec had a gun pointed at the fucker's chest. Alec had a broken nose that was bleeding, but Demetri looked like a piece of raw meat. His face was torn up.

"Where's my brother?" he asked with a rough voice.

"Your brother is dead." I flipped on the lights of the room. Furniture was overturned and mirrors were smashed like a real rumble had just gone down.

"You're lying."

"I don't know how long you expected to hide out here, but was it all worth it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You terrorized her." I crossed the room and knocked him in the face with the butt of my gun. There was a loud crack, and he doubled over in pain. "You put her through hell, all for your sick game." I picked his head up so he could see how angry I was.

"Your Selena was an easy target, and we still didn't get what we needed out of her. Do you really think you can protect her from everyone? I might not be the only one who-"

He didn't have time to say anything else, because I put the barrel of my gun under his chin and blew his fucking head off.

I had to wipe his blood off of my face. My breathing was harsh, and I really wanted to make Demetri suffer, but even his voice was enough to make me cringe. I couldn't stand him being alive any longer.

"Everyone down in about an hour." Emmett checked his watch. "That must be some kind of fucking record."

I was still angry for some reason and didn't speak to any of them as I stomped out of the room. Now that the house was empty, we basically walked out of the front door and didn't bother looking over our shoulders.

Emmett, Jasper, and Alec were talking, reliving our impressive massacre, while I calmed down. I wanted to call Selena and tell her it was safe now. She didn't have to worry anymore. While we walked back to the car, I checked my phone and noticed that I already had several messages from her.

I put the phone to my ear and checked the first one.

"Uh, Justin, this is Selena. Well, you probably already know that. I shouldn't be calling you because I know you're really busy doing… whatever, but I just… never mind."

There were about ten more messages that were almost identical. Her voice was shaky and stressed. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't like it. I should have felt elated at the fact that a major threat was eradicated, but I sensed a larger threat at home for some reason.

After I finished listening to them all, trying to read between the lines only to come up short, I shoved the phone in my pocket and joined my brothers in the car.

"I have to get home. Now."