"I want to travel with Dad," I said to Marcus as he, with Demetri traveling shortly behind, escorted me down to the lobby.

"Why, might I ask? Certainly you haven't forgiven him already?" Marcus asked, quirking an eyebrow. I tended to forget, with Marcus being the most even-keeled of the three, that he was no doubt just as displeased about what the Cullens had hidden from me as I was.

"No. But this has become more of a family matter, hasn't it? Now that Emmett's testimony proves that Renesmee is not an immortal child. And it being a family affair, me going with Emmett would serve as a reminder that I am part of the family, too."

Marcus appraised me for a moment before inclining his head. "Others would do well not to underestimate you. You are more clever than you know."

"A worthy queen," Demetri added as the elevator gave a pleasant ding and the doors opened to the lobby.

"Marcus informed us that you declined any breakfast before we depart," Aro said, smiling warmly once he spotted me.

"I'm ready to get this over with," I confirmed.

"I'll follow behind," Emmett said. "I came in the Jeep."

"I'm riding with you," I informed him, which was not only news to Emmett but also to Caius and Aro.

Aro didn't seem particularly bothered by this, especially after I pressed my hand against his to show my reasoning, but Caius seemed to take it as a personal affront; I believed there was a part of him that didn't think I was being quite as severe on Emmett as I should have been.

"Do you forget that he was in on your so-called family's scheme?" Caius snapped.

I raised my eyebrows. "I am well aware, thank you. It is not that I don't want to travel with you, my warrior, but rather to serve as a reminder."

"A reminder?" he questioned, drawing closer. My use of a nickname had effectively settled him, as I had hoped. I reached out to straighten his tie, which had become something of a habit between the two of us.

"Yes, a reminder. However far away I am, I am still a member of the family. I am still a Cullen," I said, smoothing his shirt.

"Perhaps we should change that," Caius said, and I saw the beginnings of a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

"Someday, I'm certain," I said, my hand still lingering on his chest, "but at present we have other matters to handle."

"Someday," he agreed quietly, frowning as I dropped my hand and walked over to join Emmett. "We'll go first, everyone else will follow."

"Look, whatever happens, you won't blame Renesmee, right? I mean, she's just a kid," Emmett said as we walked out to his Jeep.

"No, of course not. None of this is her fault," I said.

"I feel like I should also inform you that Bella always wanted to tell you, she was always on your side. Edward just... convinced her to stay quiet." He shrugged helplessly. "I'm not one to throw family members under the bus, I'm not. And I know how close you and Edward are. But you should know that it was him that convinced the rest of the family to keep this quiet."

I sighed. Edward's betrayal stung, but it wasn't completely unexpected. "I warned Bella, I did. If she doesn't stand her ground, he'll walk all over her. But damn if he's not going to regret walking all over me."

Emmett smirked and started the Jeep. "That's my girl. Let's go tear our idiot brother a new one."

When we reached my home, which I hadn't seen in several months, only Rosalie, Jasper, and Carlisle were waiting to greet us.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Emmett asked quietly.

"You've always wanted me to break out of my shell, Dad," I said, gravel crunching under my feet as I jumped out of the Jeep. "So watch me fly."

"Rowan-" Carlisle started when he saw me walking up. I could hear the slam of other doors behind me but didn't have to glance back to know that my mates would not be far behind.

"Oh, so you remember my name, do you?" I snapped, stopping a few feet before them and crossing my arms over my chest. Rosalie flinched. "How very kind of you."

"We were going to tell you," Carlisle soothed.

"Save it. Emmett told me everything. If it weren't for Irina, I'd still be none the wiser. Tell me, Carlisle, when did I become a stranger among my own family?"

"You're not a stranger, Rowan. You're still family. You never stopped being family," Rose interjected quietly. "You're still my daughter."

As furious as I was with Edward, it was Rosalie's actions that had wounded me the most. She was supposed to be my mom, and yet she had chosen Bella's child over me. Emmett, at least, was trying to make things right.

"If that's the case, Rose," I said, and she flinched again at my use of her name, "why was I the only one not informed? No matter where I live or who my mates are, I am still a part of this family. At least, that's what I believed. Clearly that belief wasn't shared by any of you."

Someone placed a hand on my shoulder, and I instinctively glanced back. Aro offered me a slight smile before speaking. "I have no intentions to keep you from sorting this matter out with your family, mia cara, but before you do so I would like to see this remarkable tale from every angle in order to glean the unbiased truth - and meet the child as well, of course."

"We're happy to oblige you, Aro. Won't you all come in?" Carlisle asked after the briefest of pauses. After witnessing my anger, he clearly wasn't expecting Aro to treat him with any sort of civility. Jasper's eyes cut warily from Caius's angry face to Aro. He was the only Cullen presently aware of the fury that was simmering underneath Aro's cordial veneer.

"Certainly, certainly," Aro said easily, lightly. Carlisle lead the way into the house, and the rest of us walked behind him. Emmett was at my left side, and Rosalie joined him.

"The rest of the family is waiting for you in the living room. Renesmee is very excited to meet you, Rowan, as she has heard quite a lot about you," Carlisle said.

"Don't use her to deflect attention away from your actions, Carlisle," Caius spit.

"Of course not. But you must know that she is no threat," Carlisle said as Jasper pulled open the front door.

"That is still to be determined," Aro said. "I am interested in meeting her. Such a hybrid has never been heard of within our kind."

"It does make the situation that much more complicated," Carlisle agreed.

"Grant me a few minutes to speak to your family before you deal as you see fit," Aro requested of me quietly. I inclined my head. What I had to say could wait a little longer. I did, however, conceal my mind; no need for Edward to view exactly what I thought about him before the time was right.

"Bella is remarkably controlled for a newborn, she holds no threat towards Rowan," Carlisle continued as we approached the living room. He must have noticed how the guard had taken more defensive positions around me and Caius had pulled forward to fill the vacant spot by my right hand, posture tense.

The rest of the family was in the living room. Edward and Bella were furthest away, and I could just see Renesmee between them. Bella was stunning; immortality became her. Jacob stood shortly off to the side, watching through narrowed eyes. Jasper strode over to Alice upon entering, and I was familiar enough with his body language to know that he was far from relaxed despite the casual arm he had thrown around Alice's shoulders.

"Welcome home, Rowan," Esme said, smiling softly. "We are glad you're back, but we understand that you're not exactly pleased with us."

"An understatement," I said, my voice carefully controlled.

"Ah, but we are getting distracted. Let us see your lovely daughter, Edward, Bella. Such a surprise she is to us all," Aro said. He drifted subtly forward, shielding me from direct attack.

"This is Renesmee, our daughter," Edward said, the hand of a small girl who looked about eight clasped within his own. The girl's other hand was held by Bella, who had been trying to catch my eye since I entered the room. We had held plenty of silent conversations before, and I could read her like a book. Sorry, she said. I offered her a tiny nod. This had to have been hardest on her, and Emmett's defense of Bella had softened my anger towards her.

"Hello," Renesmee said, her voice holding the same lovely lilt possessed by most vampires.

"Greetings, little one," Aro said kindly. His voice, when speaking to her, lost some of its edge. "Do you know me?"

"You're Aro. One of the mates of Aunt Rowan," Renesmee said.

"Quite right. We are the most fortunate of men, and you the most unique of children," Aro said, holding out his hand expectantly for her. However, she ignored this, instead placing her palm against his cheek. He gasped. "Incredible."

"May I meet my aunt now, Aro?" Renesmee asked, withdrawing her hand. I couldn't stop the curiosity that burned within me. What had she done that had impressed Aro so?

"Of course, little one." He moved aside, allowing her to pass and approach me. She was lovelier up close, a perfect blend of vampire and human.

I knelt to greet her, surveying her with interest. "Hello."

"Hello," she chimed, giving me a brilliant smile. "May I show you something?"

"Is that what you did earlier, with Aro?" I asked.

Renesmee nodded, her rust-colored ringlets bouncing with the action. "Yes."

"Then yes, you may," I consented. She reached forward, pressing her warm, small hand to my cheek.

I had to resist the urge to flinch as images sprung to the forefront of my mind, startlingly vivid and not my own. I realized, after another moment, that these things Renesmee was showing me were memories - her memories.

"It's so strange. I thought he was like me but he's not, he's like you." Edward's voice swam through my mind.

I saw, through Renesmee's eyes, her gruesome birth. "Beautiful." Bella was thin and drawn, so, so weak.

"Rose, take her!" Renesmee, thrust into the arms of Rosalie. The warmth of a fire to contrast against a vampire's icy skin. Her first glimpse of Jacob, whose awed brown eyes reflected the fire back towards her.

"You can do it, Ness, there you go." Renesmee's first unsteady steps, taken two days after she was born. Her first words spoken not long after.

"I want her to meet Rowan," Bella said, bouncing Renesmee on her knee. "She deserves to know, Edward."

"You know Rowan's involvement would bring the rest of the Volturi, too. Can't we just enjoy this?" Edward asked, motioning towards his daughter. "We'll tell her when the time is right."

Renesmee, peeking around the doorway, witnessing the snapped words between her aunt and uncle.

"She is our daughter, Rose! Now I know Renesmee is important to you. She's important to me, too. But Rowan knows something is up. We're pushing her away and it's hurting her. She's already going to be angry that we kept it from her this long. At least we can tell her on our own terms right now," Emmett said, clearly frustrated.

"It's not our choice, Emmett! Renesmee is our niece! If Edward wants to keep this quiet, then I'll stand with him! We already don't know how long-" she cut off abruptly, eyes snapping towards Renesmee's inquisitive ones. "Hey there, sweetie. What are you doing in here?"

"Were you arguing?" Renesmee asked, tilting her head.

"We were just talking, cub. Nothing to worry about," Emmett said, swinging her up into his arms. She giggled. "Let's get you back to Grandma and Gramps, huh? Weren't you supposed to be with them?"

A shy smile appeared on Renesmee's lips. "Maybe."

The final memory was more recent. Renesmee seated at the piano stool, her legs dangling off the edge, playing with Edward. There was chatter in the background that she was paying little mind to, but I caught the key words: Denali, snowflakes, Irina. This memory must have happened mere days ago.

Edward's phone rang, and he checked the caller ID before pressing a finger to his lips. "I need you to be very quiet, alright?"

"Okay," Renesmee agreed.

"Hello, Rowan." Edward's voice was light and friendly, but his face showed his strain. This must have been the conversation I had held with Edward after Irina had given me her report. Renesmee didn't seem to be able to hear me on the other end, or perhaps she simply wasn't paying that much attention, because I couldn't hear my voice replying.

"Good, you?" Edward asked. He looked a little more at ease. It was odd hearing only one side of the conversation, even though I knew the other.

"So do I. But with Bella still in the newborn phase, it's too much of a risk," Edward said, refusing to meet the furious stares of Emmett and Jasper. "Did you need something? I'm a little busy, but I wanted to make sure everything was okay." To his credit, he did sound concerned.

There was a pause, then- "Sure, what's up?"

The rest of the family seemed to be listening intently. I couldn't be certain, but it appeared as if Alice had the tiniest of smirks on her lips as she arranged flowers within a vase. "Oh?" Edward said. I knew the moment I had dropped my bomb on him, because most of the family shot to their feet and panic filled Edward's face. "Rowan, it's not what you think."

"What's happening?" Renesmee whispered to Bella, full of childish curiosity.

Bella, while she appeared concerned, did not seem nearly as dismayed by this turn of events as Edward. "Nothing, sweetheart. Would you like a snack?"

"Yes, please," she said happily. The scenes, which flashed so vividly in my mind, faded. I blinked hard, bringing myself back to reality. The guard was still tense and Caius and Marcus were still watching curiously. What she had shown me, I realized, must have taken place in the span of seconds.

"Aren't you something," I murmured, entirely unsurprised that Renesmee was gifted herself.

"Momma calls me her miracle," she said proudly.

"Rightly so," I agreed, recalling the circumstances of her birth. "It is very nice to meet you, Renesmee."

"Everyone but Mama and Daddy calls me Ness. You can call me that, too," she said, giving me another beaming smile before turning and bouncing back to her parents. Her vampire qualities may have made her more mature than most human children, but she was still oblivious to the tension in the room and the glare that I levelled at Edward.

"You have seen that she is no threat," Carlisle said, addressing Aro.

"Yes, it appears so," Aro said, still watching Renesmee thoughtfully.

"What is her diet? Does she require blood to sustain herself, like us? More importantly, does she have the control to keep our secret?" Caius demanded.

"Peace, brother. I don't need Aro's gift to see that she contains nothing of the threat that immortal children pose to our kind," Marcus said. He had remained silent up until now, but I knew that simply meant he was observing before casting judgement as opposed to what Caius was so prone to do.

"To answer your questions, her diet consists of blood and human food. It appears she can survive off either, meaning she has none of the bloodlust that we are forced to endure," Carlisle said.

"She grows remarkably fast," Aro commented. "Do you know-"

"We don't," Edward interrupted before Aro could finish his question.

"Troubling," Marcus murmured, his eyes on Renesmee. He had no doubt picked up on Aro's line of thought. "I wish, for the child's sake, that we could give you some form of reassurance. But this is something we have never encountered before."

"Only time will tell," Carlisle agreed gravely.

There were several seconds of strained silence before Aro spoke. "Well, I believe I and my brothers have seen enough to know that young Renesmee is no threat to our kind, though she does leave us with much to discuss. Rowan wishes to speak with you, so we shall give you privacy. Come, brothers."

Caius leaned down so that his lips brushed against my ear. "Give them hell for me, darling."

"I'll give them hell for myself," I muttered back, staring Edward down. My gaze slid to Renesmee, who was watching with interest, and I knew she couldn't be present for this. "Jacob, why don't you take Ness out for a while? Give us time to talk."

"Sure." Jacob looked grateful that he didn't have to be present, picking up Renesmee easily and walking out. She waved as they left.

"Rowan," Edward started, reading my anger and clearly looking to try and head me off.

I held up a hand. "No. Edward, you've done enough. The adult is speaking now." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emmett smirk. I was, physically and emotionally, two years older than Edward. This was the first time it actually felt like it.

I clasped my hands behind my back, ignoring the slight strain it put on my shoulder. "I could have forgiven every single person in this room if you had only told me what was going on myself. But I heard it from Irina instead, so you can kiss your get-out-of-jail-free card goodbye. I am now judge, jury, and executioner. Welcome to your trial."

Edited 6/26/2021