After Dawn Broke

Chapter Ten: Realization and Flirtation

I could see Aunt Alice sticking her tongue out at someone as she easily lifted a vase made of crystal containing white and red roses and made her way into the kitchen. She seemed to be attempting to distract herself from something; the flashback must be Grandma's because I could vaguely see Grandpa in her peripheral vision speaking to Li.

She turned away from Alice and stared down at her daughter. My mom, Renesmee, looked so peaceful as a young child, sleeping on the sofa.

Suddenly the flashback morphed into a scene of horror. I could hear the sounds of air rushing past the crystal vase as it made its way to the floor. Grandma had glanced in the direction that the noise was coming from in just enough time for me to see the vase hit the kitchen floor and shatter into a million tiny pieces. Everyone froze, staring at Aunt Alice's back as the shards continued to scatter.

My heartbeat came faster as I continued to watch the past. How could she have dropped it? Aunt Alice was full vampire, and they are experts at everything physical. I've never seen any of my vampire family drop something on purpose. They were not clumsy like me, being only part vampire.

Then Aunt Alice was facing us. The movement was so fast that I could not even see it; just a half second ago she had been facing the opposite direction. When I saw her eyes, I recognized her familiar blank expression, and I knew she was having a vision.

Grandpa gasped a horrible, shaky sound. What had she seen? What had he seen through her thoughts?

"What?" Uncle Jasper impatiently voiced what we were all thinking. He jumped up and was next to her so fast that his movement was blurry. I could hear the broken crystal from the vase crunching under his steps. He took hold of Aunt Alice's shoulders and roughly shook her back and forth. "What, Alice?"

Uncle Emmett came into Grandma's peripheral view, and shifted into attack mode. He was prepared for anything. Meme, Li, and Aunt Rosalie remained still as a statue, just like Grandma. Uncle Jasper shook Aunt Alice once more. "What is it?"

"They're coming for us," Aunt Alice and Grandpa Edward whispered simultaneously. "All of them. "

Silence continued to spread over the room. I could sense the understanding and horror rushing through Grandma. An even more distant memory flashed through her mind. It was that of a blurry human nightmare. A line of black-robed, ruby-eyed figures advanced toward her. Feelings of protection spread through my veins. Something standing behind her needed to be protected from them.

"The Volturi," Aunt Alice confirmed regretfully as Grandpa Edward groaned, "All of them."

My eyes opened just as the past faded away. "The Volturi... they came for us? All of them?" I asked horrifically. If this was true, then what happened when they came? Why was it such a big deal that "all of them" were coming?

"Yes, they came for us... all of them." Grandpa Edward repeated painfully.

"Why?" I asked in a tiny voice.

"Your mother..." he started as he searched for something to say.

"She's very... unique," Grandma chimed in. While they looked at each other for answers, they were whispering so fastly that I could not hear anything except for a low buzz.

I thought of a new question as I watched their lips move at a speed I thought was impossible. "She knew too much?" I asked. The questions took them by surprise.

Grandpa glanced at me warily, "Who?" he questioned.

I eyed Grandma. "You, Grandma." They exchanged a quick look.

"As you know, Bella was human back then," I nodded as he continued, "humans aren't supposed to know about vampires. We can live along side humans, but they can not know what our true nature is."

"But she knew." I meant to say it as a question, but it came out as a state of fact.

"Yes... we were together, and that's not something you can keep from someone you were meant to be with." They smiled at each other. "And she was observant enough to figure it out," Grandpa explained as he winked at her.

"Plus I kind of tricked it out of your father, Jacob," Grandma said. She almost sounded embarrassed.

(Close your eyes) Grandpa thought eagerly as he flashed a huge grin.

(Okay...) I thought hesitantly as I obeyed his request.

As my eyes shut, my awareness shifted to the past, and I could see they were in a car. Grandpa was driving and looking at Grandma Bella, who was looking a bit guilty with her head slightly down.

"Tricked him how?" Grandpa asked her. It was a perfect continuation of our conversation.

"I tried to flirt-it worked better than I thought it would," she explained as the vision faded to reality. I kept my eyes closed for a little while longer as I tried to picture my grandma, as a human, flirting... with my dad.

I immediately burst into laughter. It wasn't the most appropriate time, but I couldn't help myself. Grandpa saw exactly what I was laughing about through my thoughts, and he joined me.

Grandma stood next to him looking confused. "What did I miss?"

Grandpa glanced at her, still giggling, and explained, "Taylor was imagining you flirting with Jacob."

She threw her head back laughing like a little kid. "I could show both of you?" she stated, but it sounded more like a question.

"I would love to see that," Grandpa chuckled.

"Well, here goes nothing," she smiled.