"Would someone in my family pick up their damned phone?" I practically snarled, ending the call as I got Edward's voicemail for the fourth time in a row. That hadn't been unusual for the past few months; getting a hold of anyone in my family, outside of Rose and Emmett, had proved to be nearly impossible.

"Have you tried your parents?" Marcus suggested gently. Family had become something of a touchy subject for me as of late, considering my family was all but refusing to acknowledge my existence, and my mates knew to tread with care. Aro had suggested on more than one occasion that we pay them a visit, but I refused; I didn't want to go where I clearly wasn't wanted.

"I tried Mom, she answered but said she was busy. I assumed that included Dad," I responded, glaring angrily down at my phone. "I've also tried Alice, Carlisle, and Edward, but you know how those all turned out."

"It can't hurt to try Emmett as well," Marcus reasoned.

"I guess. I won't have my hopes up," I said, dialing Emmett's number. I was on the verge of ending the call when he picked it up.

"Hey, pipsqueak!" he said, his voice a forced kind of cheerful.

"Don't 'hey pipsqueak' me," I snapped.

"Whoa, whoa. What's going on?" Emmett asked.

"Oh, you mean other than the whole family ghosting me? Not much," I said sarcastically. "Why the hell are you and Mom the only ones answering your phones?"

"I'm sorry, Ro-bear. You haven't done anything. Bella's a newborn now, and we've told you how difficult that stage is for a vampire," Emmett said.

"Look, I just wanted to know if I'd be able to come back for Christmas, but I guess you just answered my question," I said bitterly.

There was a pause. "I'm sorry. Really. If it were up to me... but it's not. I'll make sure everyone else reaches out more, though, alright? Nobody meant to hurt you."

"Yeah, well, you did," I said. Marcus gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I'll talk to you later, Dad."

Emmett sighed heavily. "Alright. I'll do my best to call soon."

"I won't count on it," I said, hanging up the phone and setting it aside.

"Bella should be stable enough to be around humans by next Christmas, mia cara," Aro said.

"And I just can't visit until then?" I asked. "I mean, I get it, I do. But Forks is my home, too, just as much as Volterra."

"We understand, amore," Caius said.

"We'll ensure that you have a lovely Christmas here. I know many of the guard celebrate the holiday; there is no reason for us to not do so as well," Aro said. "Seeing as Christmas is twenty-three days away, I believe some decorations are in order. Jane, Alec?"

Jane and Alec, who had been standing silent guard by the door, walked across the room to stand in front of Aro. "Yes, Master?" Jane asked.

"I would like you to gather some of the guard - lower or higher, it does not matter - who celebrate the Christmas holiday and have them aid you in decorating the castle," Aro ordered.

The twins bowed. "We will not disappoint you, Master," Alec said. The two turned and left the room.

"I'm glad that's settled. We'll be happy to help you decorate your wing as well," Marcus offered.

"Can I have a piece of paper? I'll make a list of what I'll need," I said, determined not to be upset by my family's neglect. I wouldn't let this ruin Christmas for me.

"Here," Caius slid me a piece of paper from his notebook and his fountain pen. I pulled my chair closer to the table, and there was relative silence as I wrote and the kings returned to the heavy tomes they had been studying. We were in what used to be the main throne room, but now served as both the feeding room and as something of a study. It was much dimmer and less grandiose than the current throne room, but thanks to my gift, I enjoyed the lack of light and had no trouble seeing through the darkness.

Christmas marched steadily closer. With the guard set to work on making the castle look like the North Pole, the kings helping me decorate my own quarters, and me exclusively listening to holiday music, it was hard to not be in good humor. Everything was coming together nicely and I was excited for my first Christmas in Volterra.

Or, at least, I was. But that was before a very nasty wrench was thrown into my plans and Volterra had an unexpected visitor.

"Look, I need gift ideas, because I'm not giving Felix a gift card for Christmas," I said to Demetri, who was wearing an amused expression.

"He's super picky. I'm telling you, a gift card is the way to go. But if you really want to get him something, he wears ungodly amounts of the cologne Straight to Heaven by Kilian and would always appreciate more," Demetri said.

"What are you getting him?" I asked curiously.

Demetri grinned. "Gag gift. I always get him a gag gift. It's a tradition. Has been for, oh, five centuries now? We compete to give the other the more ridiculous gift."

"What do you have for him this year?"

"Well, if you promise not to tell him..."

"I would never," I said seriously.

"I got him this horrid looking gnome I found at a second-hand shop. It looks like a cross between Annabelle and Chuckie and I'm fairly certain it's possessed," Demetri said with a conspiratory grin.

I laughed. "That's hilarious, so long as it stays far away from me. I don't want to be cursed by some creepy gnome."

"I'll do my best, but I can only do so much. The possessed gnome gets what the possessed gnome wants." We both laughed.

We both glanced over at the sound of footsteps down the hall and I gasped at who I saw. Lead by Santiago, her face drawn and grim, was Irina.

"Irina?" I exclaimed, forcing Santiago to halt as I rushed over to hug her.

She looked relieved, but not surprised, to see me; the Denalis must have told her the news of my mates after they returned to Alaska. "Rowan, I'm so glad you're here."

"She's here for the masters," Santiago said.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's going on?"

She hesitated, glancing between me and the guard. "Can we talk? Somewhere private?"

"Yes, of course," I said.

"Is that wise?" Santiago asked.

I gave him a quelling look. "Irina is family. I'm perfectly safe with her. We can talk in my quarters, Irina."

"Should I let the masters know you have a visitor, then?" Santiago asked.

"Yes, please," I said. He nodded and walked away. Demetri ghosted behind us as we walked; I had finally grown used to the castle and was able to find my way around with relative ease.

"How have you been?" Irina asked, breaking the silence.

"I've been good. I love it here. How have you been?"

"Okay. It's been hard. My family doesn't know I'm here," Irina said.

"You're haven't come to be killed?" I asked, horrified. I couldn't imagine how tough Laurent's death was for her, but I never would have imaged she would pull an Edward.

"No! No, of course not. This is about something... else." She glanced at Demetri and said little more on the subject until we were in my wing.

"We can talk freely in the study. It's soundproofed. Well, the bedroom and bathroom are too, but I figure the study will be more comfortable," I said.

"Good," she said, looking a little more relaxed when I shut the door to the study.

I sat on my desk, letting my legs dangle, and surveyed her with concern. "What's going on, Irina?"

"The Cullens, your family, they've done something," she whispered, as if she didn't want to say it.

My stomach lurched. "What have they done?"

"They- I went to visit. To try and make amends. And I saw Bella, with a wolf, and a- a child."

"A child," I repeated numbly. No, no, no. They couldn't. They wouldn't.

"Yes. An immortal child."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"The girl, she was catching snowflakes. I saw her jump, ten, fifteen feet in the air. No human child could have done this," Irina said. "Rowan, I'm so sorry. I never would have thought, after what happened to my own coven... I never would have thought them capable of doing this."

"You're certain it was an immortal child?" The question was fruitless. I already knew the answer.

"Yes. I'm sorry," she said. "That's why I came. You know immortal children are dangerous."

"Yes. I don't blame you. Just let me... let me think on this. For a second." I pushed myself off the desk and began to pace. There was no way Carlisle would allow this. But he, along with the rest of my family, had been pushing me away. Ignoring me. It made sense. I wished it didn't. I was horrified, but there was a large part of me that was angry. Furious. They knew better than this. How could they?

"What are you going to do?" Irina asked.

I puffed out a breath and ran a hand down my face. "The Cullens are my family. They deserve to have their say."

"What do you mean?"

"It's about time I give Edward another call," I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket and dialing. I was genuinely surprised when, after two rings, he picked it up.

"Hello, Rowan," he greeted, perfectly cordial.

"Hey, Ed." I kept my tone calm. I didn't want him to be suspicious, not yet. "How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Pretty good. Excited for Christmas. I wish I could spend it with you guys," I said.

"So do I. But with Bella still in the newborn phase, it's too much of a risk," he said. "Did you need something? I'm a little busy, but I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"Actually, yeah. It'll only take a second," I said.

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well, you'll never guess who I ran into in Volterra today," I said conversationally, taking a seat in my desk chair.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Imagine my surprise when I run into our cousin Irina." My tone changed, becoming darker and more venomous. "She told me the most interesting story, Edward. Would you like to hear it?"

"Rowan, it's not what you think." His tone was a panicked sort of urgent, and I knew I had caught him red-handed.

"So it is true? You made an immortal child?"

"Renesmee is not an immortal child, Rowan," Edward said.

"Really? Then why don't you explain to me what Irina saw? Because that certainly sounds like one to me. But what would I know? I'm just a human," I spat.

"Renesmee is my daughter, my biological daughter. She was conceived and birthed while Bella was still human."

"That's impossible," I said flatly. "And does not explain why that she is a child and not an infant."

"No, it's not impossible. We thought it was, too, but it's not. She grows incredibly fast, much faster than any human child. She's not an immortal and she's not a danger to anyone, Rowan, I swear it to you," Edward pleaded.

I grit my teeth. "And what is your word to me? You shut me out for months and now you expect me to believe you? How long would you have kept this up if you didn't get caught, Edward?"

"I was just trying to protect my daughter. You have to understand, please."

"We'll see. Prepare the house, Edward. We're coming for a visit," I said, hanging up the phone and shoving myself to my feet.

"Where are we going?" Irina asked, following me out of the room.

"To see the kings," I seethed. Demetri and Afton were standing outside the doors to my wing and their eyes widened when they saw my furious expression. They were wise enough to say nothing, instead opting to follow wordlessly after us.

"Are you sure that's wise? It sounded like he was telling the truth," Irina said.

"They're going to find out one way or another, and I'm tired of being treated like a second-class citizen in my own family. They made their choice when they decided not to tell me what was going on."

"But-"

"No buts. They made their bed, now they can lie in it. Demetri, go ahead of me and clear the throne room. I need a private audience," I ordered.

"Yes, my queen," he said, disappearing as he ran ahead.

It was only a few more minutes before we reached the throne room. Afton went ahead of us to push the doors open, allowing me to pass through with Irina on my heels.

Aro was the only one of the three standing when we entered, but they all wore concerned expressions. "Mia cara, what troubles you?"

"I was right," I said furiously, striding towards Aro. "I kept saying something was off in my family, and I was right. Bella wasn't the only member they added to the family."

Aro wrapped his hands around the one I outstretched towards him, pulling me close as he took in my memories since I had last seen him. His face grew increasingly more grave until he released my hand after giving it a gentle squeeze.

"This is... troubling," Aro said, descending slowly the stairs that lead to the thrones. "It is your cousin here who saw this?"

"Yes," Irina said, a slight tremble to her voice.

Caius rose from his throne. "What has happened?"

"Patience, brother," Aro said. "Let me see what our Rowan's cousin has witnessed before I explain. May I?"

Irina allowed him to take her hand, and Aro closed his eyes as he skimmed her memories, searching for what she had seen. After several moments he dropped her hand and took a step away, steepling his fingers together. "Well?" Caius asked.

"Very troubling indeed. We really should have listened to you, carissima," Aro said, turning towards his brothers. "There are two possibilities here, and I must admit I prefer the latter, as it will cause our Rowan much less pain. The first is that the Cullens created an immortal child."

Marcus stood. "Surely not. That is beyond foolish."

"Yes. But the implications of the second, assuming Edward was telling the truth, is... astounding."

"And what is the second possibility, brother?" Caius asked.

"When Irina told Rowan what she had seen, Rowan called Edward. Young Edward claims that the child is not, in fact, an immortal child," Aro said, carefully weighting his words.

"So there is a child?" Marcus clarified.

"Yes. Edward confirmed that. Named Renesmee," I said.

"Bold of him to admit it," Caius said. "What, exactly, is the second possibility?"

"That the child, Renesmee, is a hybrid. The child of a vampire and a human. Conceived and carried by Bella while she was still human," Aro said.

"Impossible! I've never heard of such a thing," Caius dismissed.

"Should we not give them the benefit of the doubt?" Marcus asked. "They are Rowan's family, after all."

"Yes, of course. This is no normal trial. But they are on trial, until the truth is found out," Caius said, glancing towards me. I inclined my head, agreeing with him.

"Well, then. I suppose a trip to Forks is in order," Aro said. "It seems, mia cara, that you will be able to see your family for Christmas after all."

"Great," I said sarcastically.

"Absolutely not," Caius said. "Put Rowan in the midst of a newborn vampire and a possible immortal child? I won't allow it."

"My family, my problem. I'm going. This isn't a discussion," I snapped. Any further arguing was cut short when my phone rang. I pulled it out and sighed. Alice. "Best get this over with." I answered the phone.

"Rowan, there's been a misunderstanding," Alice said as soon as I accepted the call.

"Really?" I said dryly. "And whose fault is that, exactly?"

"It's ours. We never should have kept this from you."

"You had to have known I would have found out, one way or another," I said, frowning.

"I thought we would have had more time. She's growing so fast. I didn't want to..."

"I'll see you in Forks, Alice," I said, and hung up on her. "How soon can we leave?"

"Tonight," Aro said. "Though, Caius does have a point. I don't think it wise to have you near Bella - or her supposed daughter - until we can determine her control and the truth about the child."

My cell phone rang again and I suppressed a sigh. Alice again. I answered it. "What now?"

"Bella isn't dangerous. She has the most control of any newborn I've ever seen, you'd never know she was one. She's already been around Charlie with no problems, she'll be safe around you," Alice said.

I exchanged glances with my mates. "We'll see, Alice."

When that call ended, I turned to Irina, who was standing uncertainly to the side. "Irina, you can come with me. Help me pack."

"We'll have one of the guard retrieve you when it's time to leave," Marcus said.

"Thank you," I said, and shot them a forced smile before heading to the door, Irina shortly behind me. Jane and Alec pushed them open, waiting for us to pass before following.

"Well," I sighed, turning to Irina as we entered my wing, "what's Christmas without a little family drama?"

She smiled a little. "I guess that's one way to look at it."

"When did things get so complicated?" I sank down onto the couch.

Irina sat down beside me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and pulling me into a sisterly embrace. "Things always have a way of getting complicated, Rowan. That's just part of living."

"I guess," I reluctantly agreed. "Help me pack?"

"Of course."

I heaved my suitcase out from under my bed. My phone rang again, and it wasn't Alice this time, but Emmett. "Hello?"

"Hey," he said. There was a pause. "I'm so sorry, Ro-bear. I should have told you. It wasn't my choice, but you're my daughter, so... it was. I don't have an excuse. But I'm sorry. And I hope you can forgive me."

I didn't know if I was up to forgiving any of my family right now. But Emmett was the only one who had apologized, and he was my dad. "I can. I will. I just need time."

"I understand, pipsqueak. I'll see you when you get here, alright? Be safe."

"I will," I promised. I doubted anything could harm me, travelling with all three kings.

"I love you, kid."

He had never told me that before. I wondered, briefly, if he was using it as a tactic to earn my forgiveness, but Emmett had never been one to manipulate people to get what he wanted. "Love you too, Dad," I said, and I meant it. I was still mad at him. Hurt.

But I meant it.

Edited 6/26/2021