𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨. emmett cullen

eighty eight

It was Christmas. The holiday was usually my favorite but it was hard to enjoy when we had a threat hanging over our heads. The snow outside was starting to stick and it only reminded us just how close that threat was to arrive. Dad was doing his best to make good use of the day. He had no idea the battle we faced but Sue did. She promised not to tell Dad but I could see just how much of a toll it was taking on her.

We gathered around the coffee table in Dad's living room as he passed out presents. Eli and Nesmee were tearing the wrapping paper off of theirs and continuously thanking Dad as they gushed over their new toys. I stood beside Bella as we watched Dad ramble excitedly to Sue about the fishing trip we were sending him on. Something to get him out of town so we knew he would be safe. Emmett and I gifted him a brand new set of fishing rods and he was showing Seth how to fiddle with it as Leah read over the CDs Emmett and I gave her. The day was full of cookies and exciting rants but I couldn't help but feel my nerves settle in.

The snow was sticking. The Volturi would be here soon. Our fight was about to begin and I wasn't ready.

"How did we get the job of gathering wood? I don't have super strength." I threw the logs down into the pile Jacob and I (mostly Jacob) made. "That's it I'm done." I sat down on the giant log with a groan and watched quietly as Benjamin used his powers to light up the stack. "So now what? We just sit here singing kumbaya and telling ghost stories?"

"Telling war stories." Jacob corrected me. "Or we couldn't stand around like statues and blatantly ignore everyone." Jacob sat down in between Benjamin and me.

"Name any American battle, I was there," Garrett smirked as he sat on the log across from us.

"Little Bighorn," Jacob suggested.

"Came this close," Garrett put his fingers up showing the minimal space between them, "to biting Custer." I couldn't help but snort and he winked at me playfully. "The Indians caught him first."

"Try Oleg's assault on Constantinople," Kate smirked as she sat on Garrett's lap. "He didn't win that one on his own."

"If you're talking battles," Liam the Irishman piped in. "You're talking the Eleven Years' War. No one does rebellion like the Irish." He chuckled.

"You lost that war." Garrett pointed out.

"Aye. But it was one hell of a rebellion." At that, we all shared a quick laugh. At the sound of our laughter, everyone gathered and sat around the bonfire. It was getting colder and I was questioning why I was still outside but I was interested in the stories everyone was telling. I scooted closer to Jacob for warmth and I sighed when my teeth stopped chattering.

"We've got a story," Vladimir smirked.

"It's a good one." Stefan winked.

"When we ruled everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, favor seekers. Such was our power." Vladimir boasted, a distant look in his eyes as he stared into the fire. "But we never put on white hats and claimed to be saints. We were honest about what we were. We sat still for a very long time. We didn't notice we were beginning to petrify."

"Perhaps the Volturi did us a favor and burned our castles." Stefan's tone grew sad.

"We've been waiting 1,500 years to return that favor," Vladimir spoke with such hatred that it sent a shiver down my spine. "We have been ready for this battle for ages. We will not shy away from a fight."

I felt someone grip my shoulders and I didn't have to look to know it was Emmett. He lifted me and sat me on his lip, not caring that I held Jacob's hand for warmth. "Did he go to sleep?" I turned to whisper to him. I knew everyone around us would hear but I didn't want to speak loud enough to interrupt the stories being told.

"Yeah, he's with Bella and Renesmee." He kissed the side of my head as I turned my attention back to the Dracula twins. I heard movement behind me and as I turned to look I saw Gianna smile at me softly. Throughout the time they've been here, they've kept to themselves, choosing not to socialize. Emmett said that's just how they were and I accepted that. I returned her smile and laid my head against Emmett's chest.

"Clary, you must have some stories." I heard Tanya say my name and I awkwardly smiled at her. "Oh come on, you must have at least one!"

"I really don't. I'm a human, I'm boring." I dismissed her idea.

"That's what makes you so exciting!" She beamed.

"Tell us about how you know the Volturi." I wanted to kill Alistair. Flat out murder him. Gasps echoed around the circle and I felt Emmett tense up underneath me. His arms wrapped around me protectively and I leaned into him.

"Clary, you don't have to" Esme began.

"No, it's okay." I sighed. "There's not much to tell." I took a peek at Emmett and he nodded. "I first met them about a year ago. There was a misunderstanding during the time Emmett and I had broken up and he and Edward thought my sister and I died. Alice came for us when she found out they had planned to give themselves up to the Volturi. We obviously weren't dead so we went to save them. I didn't see them again until I found out I was pregnant." I took a deep breath before continuing. "It was a rough time for me. The pregnancy was unplanned and it caused fights in our relationship. It came to a point where we weren't together and Emmett had to decide if he wanted to be a Dad."

"You didn't want your baby?" Garrett inquired. "That's harsh dude."

"Shut up." Emmett glared at him.

"Nobody knew anything about a human getting pregnant by a vampire so I called the only person I thought could help and that was Aro. He invited me to Volterra and I went. I stayed with them for a couple of months while he had the Guard help me find any information I could. I witnessed a lot when I was there, most of those memories I'd rather not repeat." I could tell that not everyone was pleased with my time with the Volturi.

"When they exhausted every resource they had, I came home. And that's when I found out my sister was pregnant too. They're heartless people but they never treated me harshly. I still don't understand why. I'm not commending them for anything they've done, I know firsthand how horrible they can be. All I can take away from time with them is that I'm still alive. And to be a human in this world and survive a castle full of evil vampires, that's a miracle."

"And you said you were boring!" Garrett laughed.

"What happened once you came home?" Tia questioned.

"Nothing exciting really happened. Until the day I went into labor anyway." I chuckled. "Bella went into labor first and hers kicked mine into gear. Mine went slower than hers and hers involved a lot more drama. I shot a smirk at Jacob and rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Jacob found his mate within Renesmee just as the Pack came to tear the Cullens apart because Bella was turned. That obviously didn't happen. Anyways, I went into labor a few minutes later and I almost died. I don't remember much after that since I blacked out but I know that Emmett bit me and his venom seeped into my veins but when I woke up, I still had a heartbeat."

"How is that possible?" Eleazer questioned.

"I don't know. We still don't know. I just know I'm human still." I shrugged.

"This family is anything but boring." Liam's mate joked. We all laughed as we agreed with her.

It was true. Even despite the looming battle, we faced tomorrow, we still never had a dull moment. We could tell one exciting story after another and never come to an ending. That was the life we had, the family we were. As the others started telling their own stories again, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep in Emmett's arms. Tomorrow we had a fight to win and as I took one last peek at everyone around the fire, I knew this time we were ready.

We could maybe win.