The change in atmosphere was quite abrupt. Everyone tensed up. Edward stood up as Bella crossed over to him. Emmet's grin faded and he straightened. Jasper had his arm around Alice's waist and Carslie's face was serious. Ellis sat up, dislodging Seth's arm slightly. The wolf boy placed his hand back on his lap, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Alice what did you see?" Carslie's voice was urgent.

"The volturi", she repeated. "They are coming for us". Her words were heavy. Ellis pressed his hands together. He knew of the volturi. He'd had no experience with them but he had heard of them. This was not good. Any interaction with the volturi was not good.

Edward rubbed his hands over his wife's shoulders. Nessie got up and stood safely between them, Bella's hand in her grasp. "Irina reported us", he said. He had seen Alice's vision at the same time Alice had. Ellis did not like the grave expression on Edward's face.

"Why would she do that?" Bella asked.

Edward turned to his wife. "What happened when Irina saw you? What were you doing?"

"Um we were walking", Bella recounted nervously. "Ellis and Seth were playing ball. Jacob was walking with me and we were talking. Reneesme was catching snowflakes".

"She was jumping about twenty feet in the air to catch snowflakes", Ellis specified. By the look on Carslie's and Edward's faces, this was the answer they needed. Carslie sighed and ran a hand over his face. Esme placed a concerned hand on his shoulder, her face anxious.

"She saw Reneesme", Edward muttered.

"She thinks that she is a immortal child", Carslie stated. "From that distance, that was what she think she saw".

"What's an immortal child?" Bella asked. For some reason, Ellis felt a few glances land on him. They were subtle and quick but still plain. He felt Seth take his hand anxiously.

"Why are you all looking at Ellis?" He asked.

Ellis bit his lip. "Yeah", he spoke up. "Why are you all looking at me?" He had an idea and wasn't sure that he liked it.

Carslie sighed and stood up. Esme followed her husband's actions, hands wringing nervously. "We'd better go to my office", he said. "I have a book there that will make explaining it a bit easier".

They all followed Carslie upstairs to his office. Ellis had only been in there a few times before. He liked the scent of old books and pine he got there. It was a clean and studious space that just seemed so like Carslie. Ellis found it quite relaxing. Carslie crossed to his book cases and took out a large leather bound volume. It was visibly old, the leather cracking. He placed it on the desk and flicked open the pages. Around him, everyone circled the room. Jasper was holding Alice around the waist, her head resting against his shoulder. Both of them watching nervously. Emmet was sitting on one of the armchairs in the room, Rosalie on his lap. Nessie was sat in Jacob's lap on the other armchair, her parents at the desk as Bella looked at the book. Ellis crept up to her side, reading the page over her shoulder.

The writing was spidery, in English but old English. It reminded Ellis of translations of Shakespeare. The main centrepiece of the page was a illustration. It showed a group of dead bodies lying in a pile on the floor. Above them stood a small figure of a child, probably about four or five. The child's eyes were wide and bloody and it's face was distorted in animalistic snarl. Ellis could feel Seth wincing at his side. He didn't blame him, the image was unsettling.

"The immortal children were vampire children", Carslie began. He gestured towards the book. "During the dark times, many of our kind changed children. They were known as the immortal children. They were very beautiful, so enchanting. To be near then was to love them", Carslie explained. He pressed his palms to the table and leaned over the book. "But their development was frozen at the age they were turned. They couldn't be taught or restrained. A single tantrum could wipe out a whole village".

Staring at the illustration, Ellis could picture this in his minds eye. A child so perfect yet so destructive and devastatingly powerful. He could see why they were forbidden. "Humans heard about the devastation and storied spread. The volturi were forced to intervene. Since the children couldn't protect our secret, they had to be destroyed. Their creators were very attached and many fought to protect them. Many old covens were torn apart, countless humans slaughtered". Carslie sighed and Esme walked over. She took his hand and rested her other on his shoulder. They shared a fond look. "Traditions, friends, even families were lost". Carslie's gaze was sad.

"So the Denali sister's mother created a immortal child?" Bella stated, realising where this story was leading. Ellis had never met the Denali cousins. He wondered what they were like.

"And she paid the price", Carslie replied grimly.

"How old did they have to be to be considered a immortal child?" Ellis asked. Everyone paused to consider his question.

"Officially", Carslie answered. "It's no one younger that thirteen. The youngest vampires we know of are Jane and Alec. They are thirteen. But they are controlled by the might of the volturi guard and loyal only to Aro and his brothers. However, as a general rule we don't really turn people younger than sixteen".

Ellis didn't answer. He clutched at Seth's hand nervously. Now that he thought about it, there was no one in Victoria's newborn army who was his age. They were all from the ages of sixteen to twenty. The Cullen's themselves had waited until Bella was eighteen to turn her, a legal adult. Licking his lips, he spoke up after a minute. "So I should have never been turned? I was supposed to die with my parents?" He was right. He was supposed to die and stay dead. James and Laurent had been all for killing him. It was only Victoria being intrigued with him that allowed him to be turned. Even then, he had been drained to the point of death before James had backed away and allowed the venom to work. Ellis shuddered visibly as he recalled the process of turning.

"Oh honey", Esme murmured. She crossed around the desk and pulled Ellis into a hug. "If I could turn back the time and make you human again, I would. But I do not regret you being here". She pulled back and placed both of her hands on his face, fingers brushing his hair. "You are our son now, part of our family and we wouldn't let you go for the world. We cherish you being here with us". Ellis exhaled shakily and pressed his face into her shoulder for another hug. He inhaled her sweet motherly smell, calming and basking in her affection. When they finally separated, he turned and pressed himself into Seth's arms. Seth enveloped him in warmth and Ellis softened in his hold. Around them, the others turned as if to give them a semblance of privacy, returning to the topic at hand.

"But Nessie isn't a immortal child", Jacob spoke up. "She has blood in her cheeks and breathes like a normal human". He ran his hand over Nessie's hair in a comforting gesture. The little girl had fallen asleep, unaware of the conversation at hand.

Bella made a frustrated noise and stood up. She paced around the room. "Why can't we just show them? She's not an immortal child! She ages every day".

"We could", Alice's voice made them all pause. Bella halted her pacing. Edward grinned, jumping along Alice's train of thought.

"We can show them", he stated. "There has to be a hearing right? Well we can call in witnesses to support our cause. Just show them that Nessie is different that she is special".

"It might give the volturi pause", Carslie muttered thoughtfully.

"Nessie would have no trouble keeping the secret", Edward said, smiling. "She can eat food, has a heartbeat and blood flow. She will no reveal us. If we make the volturi pause long enough to see that then we might have a chance". It was hopeful and the only plan they had with any chance of success. They could not run, or fight. This was what they had.

"Well send out calls and leave at once", Carslie stated. "We'll need to bring in everyone we know". All the Cullen's nodded.

Sensing a lack of need for him in this part of the conversation, Ellis began making his way to the door. As he passed, Jasper and Alice both smiled at him reassuringly. Seth followed him out of the study and down the corridor to his own room. Once the door was shut and they were alone, both boys curled up in the hammock. Ellis took out his phone and put on some music to block out the sounds of voices from the study. South by Hippo Campus blurred through the tiny speakers.

"I'm glad you're here too", Seth voiced quietly. "If you weren't turned then I would have never of met you".

"In a alternate universe we could have met anyway", Ellis replied. "Things would be different there".

"Would there be anything the same?" Seth asked. "Cause I'd probably always be a wolf in every universe".

"Really?"

Seth shrugged. "It's hard sometimes but it's part of me. Shifting between firms comes naturally now. And the bond I have with the others? It's something I never expected to have two years ago. I was a bit of a outcast in school".

Ellis laughed at the confession. "Really? But you're so loveable".

Seth grinned at him. "Really. I was such a geek too. Trailing Jacob, Quil and Embry around like a little fan. And I was so much smaller than I am now. So skinny with messy hair and boring clothes".

"I've seen the pictures", Ellis chuckled. He recalled the photos Sue had on display around her house. "You were adorable. Are still adorable, just big and muscly and adorable". He poked the skin of Seth's stomach, the abs visible under the surface. Ellis'd never had abs. Still now, his stomach was a flat skinny board.

"I was just a mess of too big hand me downs", Ellis recalled. "Mad curly hair and massive black framed glasses". He gestured lazily at his desk where his photo frames stood. "Those were the nice photos. We had to wear a school uniform, so I had all my brother's old sets. Put that on a bicycle and strap a massive cello case to its back then you had me. God puberty was a nightmare".

Seth laughed at the mental image. He nuzzled his nose into Ellis' curls. "I love your curly hair", he whined. "I bet that even if you were still older than me in a alternate universe, I would still be taller".

"By what? Three centimetres?" Ellis scoffed. "I'd still think you'll be adorable. Alternate universe, human me would find you so cute I'd blush".

"You would look great with a blush. But I don't need a blush to know when you're embarrassed". Seth's arm curled around his waist. Ellis pressed a slow kiss to his lips. Seth responded with equal pace. They stopped talking for a while

.