55; a language they understand

Just to clarify; when disaster strikes, Elias has come to learn, it strikes hard. Violent, mercilessly, without regard for the mess it leaves behind.

It happens when Elias and Bella are about to leave for Italy. Their bags are packed, only trivial things that fit into two identical backpacks that sit on the lid of the sleek black piano in the Cullen lounge. Elias is dressed in a soft grey shirt, legs adorned with sweatpants; he looks like a human boy dressed for comfort in long travel. A wolf in sheep's clothing, as Jasper had described him.

Bella wears something similar, though Alice absolutely refused to allow her to touch sweatpants in fear she'd never change out of them. She had leggings on instead.

Eli knows she's probably right.

All the family are there when they come down the stairs, silent as Edwards fingers drift over his instrument, pulling a sweet melody from the chords. It's a lullaby, one he uses to soothe tension for everyone; especially Arden, who sits on his knee, aware that his mother will be gone for a while as they travel. There's a frown on his little face.

Bella moves to lean on the piano, stroking Ardens cheek in another attempt to soothe him. They're destined to leave in an hour for the airport, Carlisle is going to travel with them to the connection in London, after that, they're alone. Elias isn't as worried about being around humans as he should be- he's been through worse.

There is a tight ball of anxiety in his stomach at the thought of leaving his family, however. Jasper senses this without his gift and comes to wrap his arms around Elias, his chin tucking on his shoulder, both of them leaning into another as they listen to Edward play. Elias isn't a huge fan of the piano, but he can recognise the beauty and emotion transcending in the music. Mid note, as the tempo builds, Elias sees from the corner of his eye how Alice's hands loosen around the vase she'd been tinkering with. She'd been at it for minutes, her face going slack as she scanned the future before it came back to the present, fingers twisting petals and flowers into a better position, her gaze drifting around the room, before her face went slack again. Elias is used to her antics, so he's not paying much attention to her- then the vase slips.

There is time to catch it. Hell everyone there had time to go over and catch it- but there's a sure reasoning Alice will. No vampire has ever dropped anything purposely or smashed something accidentally. Their senses are too perfect. Reaction time is too great.

There is dread hitting Elias, a lightning strike of energy, when the glass vase scatters into millions of bits at Alice's feet.

"Alice?" Nate asks, one moment next to Esme on the couch and then at her side, cupping her face as she comes out of the vision.

"The Volturi..." she whispers, the terror she holds makes Elias grab Jasper tighter, makes his skin spark. "They're coming for us. All of them."

It's nothing short of a disaster.

•••

Silence.

Its silence, before the chaos comes. Before Arden gets rushed into Rosalie's arms and away from the aspect of discussion, of terror. the whole family moves to the dining room, a place where no actual dining happens or has happened. They use it as a conference room, to discuss things as a family. Carlisle usually sits at the head of the table.

Everyone lingers around the seats now, too anxious to sit.

All the time Elias can't let go of Jasper's hand. As if someone dared come to take him away; they do, some part of his mind whispers, someone does dare to come for him, and you, and everyone you love.

"Everyone is coming for us. All three of them, all the guards, even the wives," Alice declares, almost breathless. Nate is wrapped around her so tight, his long hair in his face but not hiding his protective expression.

Elias feels Jasper stiffen next to him. The reaction sends his own mind searching for danger. "The wives never leave the tower," he denies. His tone is more soldier than sweetheart. Elias doesn't like it. "Never. Not during the southern rebellion. Not when the Romanians tried to overthrow them. Not even when they were hunting the immortal children. Never."

Elias knows a lot about the Volturi now. He knows their wives are their most sacred aspect of their life and protected before anyone else. He knows they will never leave for a minuscule reason.

But they're coming for his family.

"What? Why?" Carlisle speaks, his urgency making Elias worse. He's always the calmest of them, his reasoning felt in bounds so large Eli is sure he can calm storms before they form.

Esme grabs his hand from next to him at the table, looking back at Alice for answers, like all of them. "We haven't done anything wrong. I mean, We're a large coven. Maybe..." Esme trails off, but it doesn't need to be said.

They were large before Elias and Bella joined, not including Arden being born, not including Jake and Jace... maybe the Volturi saw them as a threat they needed to take out early.

"No," Alice shakes her head sharply, "I wasn't even looking at us. I was looking for Irina again. I was worried she might do something drastic in her grief."

Bella, silent in her own head trying to understand the situation, finally perks up. "Irina?" She and Elias say at the same time, tone coloured in different emotions. Shock and anger.

Edward sighs deeply, like a man taking his last breath before being put to death. "That's it..." he realises, "Irina thought Arden was an immortal child."

Elias brows furrow, imagining it from another perspective... he could see how that might have been... but why run to the Volturi? Why not talk? This was her family.

"It's because I threatened her," Elias swallows, eyes slipping shut. The guilt of his actions is a physical force- Jaspers hands are holding him up now and weighing him down. "She saw us, saw Arden, and I threatened her. I chased her. It looks like I was using force to keep her quiet, or kill her for knowing."

No one denies it.

"You didn't mean to, surely she should have realised that," Bella calls. Elias meets her eyes, his own watering- he's doomed them. His temper got the best of him, like he always feared and now they're going to be killed. "She knows you, all of you. Why would she believe that we'd make an immortal child?"

"Vampires get lonely, grow bored of this life without a family of their own. They lean into the temptation of turning children," Jasper explains, voice deep with disgust.

"So they're coming without proof?" Jace asks, silent until then, like Jake, but with Eli's distraught, he comes closer to him. Even with Jasper wrapped around Eli, he reaches out and places a warm palm on his shoulder, trying to comfort in a time where it can't be given.

"They can't do that, right?" Jake asks, moving to Bella instead and copying Jace's action. Distantly, Eli thinks it's quite smart, the divide and conquer method to help their friends.

Alice looks at him, a million scenarios flashing before her eyes, "Irina decided to go to the Volturi but.... It's as if they're waiting for her. Like their decision to attack us was already made, but they were just waiting on evidence for our wrongdoings."

Her statement doesn't settle for less than a second before Emmett declares, "Then we fight."

Elias feels himself freeze. Without a second to think, he echoes calmly, "We fight."

Emmett flashes him a grin.

"Or maybe we prove Irina wrong," Jasper counteracts. Eli thinks it's only because he hates the thought of anyone getting hurt, or losing anyone. Of losing Elias. His heart feels broken in his chest.

"Yeah, what if we tell them, or show them-" Jake starts.

"-They won't listen," Carlisle sighs out.

Emmett stands taller, "Then we fight." He repeats again, simply, surely.

Elias turns to watch Jasper as he starts to shake his head, "Their offensive weapons are too powerful. Jane-"

Elias is no longer listening, his eyes finding Bellas across the room. They know about the gifts the Volturi have, they've discussed it in the upcoming weeks. They can do it, counteract the power with their own- if they work together.

No, please, no, Bella denies without words, her face in mourning, in denial of seeing her brother hellbent on fighting.

I'm sorry, he thinks, knowing she can read it, she always has. I've started this, we both have. I can finish it, I'll have to.

"We," Bella corrects, speaking accidentally. There's an argument going around now, voices rising. At her soft spoken admitition, silence stretches around the room, people looking at the two of them. There's a realisation on Jasper and Edwards' face that tells them they know both newborns have already decided, even before Bella carries on, "we can do it. Elias and I, we know we can."

"You won't be alone," Emmett swears, standing taller, bigger.

Jake and Jace are in tandem with his thinking. As alpha, Jake is the one to make the decision. "I've grown fond of you guys, but don't think I have qualms about killing other vampires. Count us in."

"There will be no fighting," Carlisle denies in a loud voice, sounding regretful to even say it, to speak too demandingly.

For the first time Elias feels his patience wear thin with Carlisle. "I will not sit here and do nothing as you all are hunted!" He hisses, stepping forward as his skin flares with heat, Jace and Jaspers touch leaving his skin.

Carlisle looks hurt but not shocked at his outburst. "We can talk to them, son. Violence should not be our first answer."

"Why not?" Elias asks, "it's theirs. Let's discuss in a language they understand."

Carlisle's voice is soft, correcting. "If we lower ourselves to their standards, we are no better than them."

"I do not care about being better, I care about us being alive," he snaps.

Jasper's hands find his shoulders, pulling him back. With a jolt, he realises his sleeves are smoking from the burning hot heat in his hands. With a heavy exhale, he pulls back on it. Carlisle looks troubled at the sight of him, of all of it. He should be- he should be more concerned. This is not going to be a discussion.

It's going to be a slaughter.

"Maybe we don't fight," Edward thinks out loud, trying to find another option. "Like Jacob said, we make them talk. We need them to pause, just for a moment to explain. If we can make them pause, we can get out of this."

Nate finally tears his eyes away from Alice, seemingly having his own silent conversation with her. "With enough people."

Edward nods at him, turning to Carlisle, "You have friends all over the world. You can ask them of this, for our family."

Eli's adoptive fathers lips press into a thin line. "I won't ask them to fight."

"Not fight," Edward shakes his head, "Witness."

Witness... the word is right for Carlisle. Witness how they hadn't done anything wrong, witness Arden wasn't a child stuck forever. He grew, he learned, he could keep the secret.

"But we'll have to ask this just right..." Alice tells them, grabbing Nate's hand hard, "They'll have to be shown very carefully."

"What was that?" Edward says, whispering a demand. "I saw something in your head, a jungle. A fire."

The word fire calls Eli's attention as much as his name does. He leans forward, trying to get his other sister's attention. "Alice?" He asks.

"I can't see," Alice says, not meeting his eyes. A flash of confusion crosses Edward's face. "We'll have to split up and hurry—before the snow sticks to the ground, that's when they'll be here. We have to round up whomever we can and get them here to show them." She zoned again on her visions, chin tilted to Carlisle to show who she's speaking to. "Ask Eleazar. There is more to this than just an immortal child."

When she looks up at Jasper, there is a command to follow.

"We have to hurry," she rushes out, already stepping back. Jasper stands rooted next to Elias, conflicted from what he wants to do and what people need of him.

Edward takes half a step after her, "Alice, what was that? What did you see?"

"I can't see!" She snaps at him, not meeting his eyes, still hurrying backwards, "I need to go, to concentrate on what I'm seeing." She looked at Jasper, then Elias, "Come on."

Elias briefly glances at Bella, her face screaming with her emotions. He nods at her once, portraying his fake confidence that everything will be fine, that they'll be able to sort this. She doesn't look as sure.

Bella goes to speak, but Jasper is leading Elias out, rushing after Nate and Alice. He cannot say or listen to another word as they leave, his mind far ahead with what needs to be done. He'll be back in a few minutes anyway.

They hardly run for a few minutes before they stop. Elias looks around, already knowing how to their right is Bella and Edward's cottage, the scent practically lingered in the air.

"Stay here," Alice demands to the three boys, running off towards the cottage.

Elias turns to his mate, confused at what's happening. He knows this isn't her just focusing on visions. She's running for real, he can tell it in his heart- but she's not fearful. Alice would never run out of fear, so it means she's run for a reason.

"Jasper?" He asks, going to speak again when Nate cuts him off.

"Check to see if we're close enough to be listened to."

Elias' brows furrow but he does as he's told. Eyes closed, he scans around with his map, noticing that despite the forest being alive with warmth, there's no lingering heat (or lack of) from a vampire sneaking up on then. "We're clear."

"Good," he nods, scanning around also, his hearing better than anyone's in the family. "I don't know what's happening, but I know Alice is sure about what she sees."

"And what is it she sees?" Jasper asks, looking very scary at the moment, the scars on his face gleaming with his small sneer. "You know I don't mind taking orders, but I don't condone this. It feels like abandonment."

"It's not," Nate snaps, before shaking his head, "Alice wouldn't do that. But it is important, I've never seen her look like that."

"I've never felt her feel so threatened," Jasper reveals.

"You've never been so threatened before," Elias tells them, chewing on his lip.

Alice appears seconds after, noise and heat giving her away. All three boys watch as they comes running over, true urgency in her body. There's two slips of paper clutched in her hands.

"Here," she pushes the paper into Eli's hands, curling his fingers over it. There's a grave rush on her face, her eyes clouding every other second for the future. "Listen to me carefully and don't repeat what you know or see, especially to minds that can be breached-" Eli's mouth opens, knowing there's only two people that means, but Alice places her small hand over his mouth, "-Bella and you, you know what you're capable of."

"Alice? What are you saying? Is he not coming with us?" Jasper demands, voice of thunder. "I'm not leaving him behind-"

"-it is the only way to save us all," Alice hisses, though she steps back from his towering frame. Despite the dread of her words and how Eli's brain is stuck on her admission of them leaving, Elias nudges Jasper with his elbow in command to calm down.

He does. Though there's fury painting his features. "So what now?"

"Now we leave," she tells them, "and Elias follows my instructions."

She reaches up on her toes, lips skimming Elias' cheek. "I was promised a forever with all of us, I plan to see it through," she vows.

Next to her, Nate is smiling sadly. "We waited fifty years for you Elias, don't mistake us departing as you being left."

Elias' throat feels thick. He knows a goodbye when he hears one, it strikes the same as a fist would. "I'll see you again," he says in the same tenor, willing it to be true.

Alice nods once, eying Jasper, "you have thirty seconds," she warns before grabbing Nate's hand and running. Elias watches her go, feeling a bit like he's dreaming.

"I can't leave you," Jasper realises, looking at where Alice left and back to Elias. He's reaching out, clasping Eli's face tenderly, golden eyes in mourning. "I won't lose you again. I just got you, I'm not leaving, not again. I promised."

Eli's very soul is tremoring. "We have to," he whispers sadly, though he leans into Jasper's touch, hands overlapping his. "Let me break this promise for you this time."

Jasper shakes his head. "No."

"Yes," Elias accepts, finding the will to grin at his mate, a fire in his eyes, the very one he intends to use to get back to his loved ones. "Eyes closed, my love."

Dejectedly, Jasper listens. Elias leans up to him, pressing his lips softly into the blondes, lingering on the smell and taste of him. Fingers tread through silk blond hair. Jasper can't respond, can't kiss back, not when he's very carefully holding himself frozen- any movement will mean he'll follow the newborn.

Elias, for the first time ever, is the one to pull back. He traces Jasper's face, the lines of his mouth, his neck, each scar stitched into the skin on display, like it's the last time. It truly might be.

"Until we're lucky enough to see each other again," Elias murmurs, a prayer and hope laced within it.

Elias thinks it might be the hardest thing he has to do, turning away and leaving Jasper there in the forest. But it's for the best. In a twisted way, he understands how the blond felt those years ago, leaving Elias in Forks.

He does not go back home, not when it is so obvious how Alice planned differently for him. Instead he heads west, making a wide arc around his home, ignoring the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. It's only as he's leaving Forks familiar territory that he remembers the notes still in his hands.

The first is addressed to him. The other, for the people he needs to find.

You know your targets. If you have to be an executor, you've got to learn how to use every advantage to kill. Peter and Charlotte will teach you.

Well, that was ominous enough, even without Elias reading the location she'd written for him, a town in North Dakota. But what he saw at the bottom was even more curious,

When the time comes, don't steal the flames.

•••

He travelled for a day straight, running in the places where he wouldn't be spotted. When the cover wore thin, he had to use human methods- the phone and his credit card went unused in his pocket as they'll leave a trail. He knows if the Cullen's have any lead as to where he went, they'll follow. They can't, not now. Elias is guilty at the worry they no doubt have, but it's eased by the knowledge that he'll return to them- all of this is for the safety of their life.

It's also at this time that he steals for the first time. He's walking through a populated city in Montana in the morning; the fall of snow is a light, melting before it can settle, especially as the sun is also out- hiding behind the clouds, meaning he's safe in public. People are out in full, shopping with rush for the build to Christmas. It's not easy to blend in, not with his immortal beauty that draws people in. It doesn't help that the outfit he wears was for the airport, not this area and weather. There's enough cash in his pocket to buy another outfit from a store- black jeans and a leather jacket is the only thing in his size. He changes between an alleyway in seconds, passing off his old clothes in a bin.

It's as he's walking down the populated street, human paced, not breathing to not be tempted by blood, that the sun beams shift. It's not that he sees it, but more feels how the heat around him moves and brightens- with a glance, he sees the clouds starting to thin, letting rays drape along the street ahead. The sidewalk is covered in a shadow he can hide in, because of the building next to him- an office building, from the sounds inside.

Driving it is, he decides, eyeing the roads, seeing which one to steal.

It's then a car - a new Audi - pulls up next to him, parking too harshly in a haste to stop and get out. It's an white woman in her forties, long black hair and face set in a distasteful expression. She's in a suit, heading for the building next to Eli.

With a last intake of clean air with his head down and heads into her direction, reminding himself to be good and gentle. When they smack into each other, Eli's quick hands reach out and pluck the keys from her pocket and into his own before settling on her thin shoulders, steadying her from stumbling. Elias can feel her heartbeat under his fingertips, it makes his mouth slick with scorning venom.

"Sorry about that ma'am, I wasn't watching where I was going," he apologises quietly, his voice rough in an attempt to sound as human as he used to.

The woman sneers and steps back, then seems to get a good look at him. She freezes. Elias can sense the warmth on her cheeks as well as see the blood rush there. It's amazing how humans react to vampires. Fast heart, slow reactions, mind reeling to wonder how a person can be so beautiful. Even if there's a bodily reaction that wants them to run- they think it's nerves.

"Ah, it's ok, I wasn't...," her voice trembles in explanation, unable to carry on. Elias smiles at her in his own fake apology, which only influences her lust further- it's difficulty to not show his disgust as she tries shuffling closer to him.

He only has little air left to speak, since he doesn't want to inhale in, to taste the scents of humans. "Have a good day," he bids, letting go, gracefully walking around her.

She watches him go, half a step to follow, but seems to shake herself out of it now she's not close to him. Despite not being able to see her, Elias tracks her through hearing and heat until she's in the building, walking up the steps- her heart is still very fast.

He turns back on the street, careful of the patches of sunlight around him, and goes back to her car. With a confidence that looks like he owns it, he gets in and starts it up. It's got blacked out windows, even better- and a full tank.

His driving is not how it used to be, not with this reaction time and senses. He drives the speed limit through the city, hands on the bottom of the wheel to stop the chance of his skin shining, when it's an undisturbed road he floors it.

It takes less than ten hours to make his way to his destination- the car lasts until he can finally get back to running through the forest. He ditches it on a random street, keys in the ignition. He wishes well to whatever human finds it.

Alice hadn't written an address, just the town they'd be passing through. Elias knows a little about Peter and Charlotte from Jasper- Peter is his brothers in arms, comrades and saviours of a life he hadn't known out of. They unexpectedly led him to Alice, to Elias- he spoke of them fondly. Jasper had wanted Elias to meet them next year, when life had settled down and they could travel.

Elias hoped they just didn't attack him when he got close enough, if he's honest. But that was a far worry, the next was wondering if they would follow the instructions Alice left them on the other note- one Elias hadn't opened, since he knew better when it came to meddling with Alice's plans.

This is a lot of blind faith, he thinks grimly, feet making no sound as they strike the earth. But there's no other option clear, so he leads with blind faith and carries on through the woods, mind alive with tracking. He's going on a whim that like most vampires, they'll like their security of the woods and not having to smell humans.

When the wind changes direction, it brings the sweet scents of vampires. Elias stops running instantly, surveying the area it came from. It's night time now, snow is still falling but not sticking. He can't hear anything, but the scent is definitely fresh- distinct. If he didn't know he was looking for two people, he would have thought it was one vampire with how pleasantly it mixed. Oak and salt water together.

Ignoring the urge to crouch into a defensive position, Elias keeps his eyes open and pulls up the map. Around him is alive in red and orange. He searches for disturbances, a patch of temperature that is lacking since it can't radiate its only heat, or take it in as easy as the earth does. He doesn't find anything. But the scent is still fresh, so carefully, on edge, he starts to walk.

He gets two miles deep before the wind moves again, pushing his scent forward- he knows then his own smoke scent is going to be carried to wherever they are. Great.

Though before he can worry about it, there's a soft pulse in his mind. He eyes the area to his right that's shifting- two shapes so close together they're practically one unit- is coming closer. Elias is glad for the tracking defence, because he cannot hear them walk along the floor, though he's sure they're not in the trees.

For a moment he panics, wondering what to do now. Throwing caution to the wind- which seems to be becoming a pattern- he calls out, "Peter? Charlotte?"

The people pause. Eli's lips rise, imagining their surprise. He still can't anything, not even a breath escapes their lips. Elias looks directly where he knows they are, "I can't hear you, but I know you're there. I don't know if you know me, but Alice sent me. I'm Jasper's mate."

A pause. Eli's skin prickles, wanting to spark, but he pushes it down in favour of tracking.

A male voice, southern tanged like Jaspers, asks curiously, "Elias?"

The newborn's brows rise. "That's me."

Within a second they're appearing, albeit cautiously. Elias curls his hands into his pockets to dismiss the urge to ball them, tracking as two vampires come out to eyesight- when they walk this time, they're purposefully loud, like they don't want to scare Elias.

Peter is the first he sees. He's got short pale blond hair, pushed back from running. He's as tall as Elias, decked out in only a shirt and jeans and shoes- the alabaster skin that's on show is marked with bite marks, but only sparsely, unlike Jasper's overlapping scars. His face is alight with a grin, making him look friendly.

Next to him is Charlotte, who reminds Elias very vividly of Alice from her short nature, though the resemblance ends there. Her skin is ashy, underneath that the colour is tinted golden. She's also blonde, her hair is long and braided down her back- she's wearing a skirt, tights and sweater. Elias can only see one prominent scar on the back of her hand, which she raises to wave at him.

They both have vivid red eyes.

"You're a vampire now," Peter says, not a shock or observation, since he could smell that from a mile away, but almost in an attempt to make conversation. "The last we spoke to Jasper, you were human."

Elias shrugs, "you missed out on a lot. I was attacked, my family was attacked. Funnily enough, we're being attacked again."

That sends them on guard. "What happened?" Charlotte demands, tiny stance seemingly buzzing. "Who's stupid enough to try to fight Jasper?"

"This might clear some things up, though I haven't read it, so don't take my word. Alice split us up, asking me to find you." He walks to them slowly, reaching the note and holding it out to Peter who takes it without pause.

"You smell of smoke," Charlotte notes as Peter opens the paper.

Eli grins secretively in answer.

Charlotte peers down at it also, her cheek brushing Peters arm. An array of emotions flicker through their faces, shock, wonder, anger, before it settles on determination. When Peter looks up again, he's scanning Elias up and down as if he knows everything about him from sight alone.

"We have a week to train you, Alice has written you're not allowed to use your gift to your advantage. After that week, you're to take us back to Forks and you're to pass your knowledge onto your sister," he reads, red eyes meeting gold, "what gift is it you have? Jasper was unwilling to share when I asked about you last time."

Elias laughs deeply for the first time in a while, feeling a bit of hope clawing its way into his chest next to all this dread. Without much time to consider it a bad idea, Elias raises his right fist up and lets a flame erupt in a quick motion- red bursts and lights up the area they're in, painting Charlotte and Peter's shocked faces.

"I always knew Jasper had a knack for finding trouble," she sighs fondly.

Doing something different for Eli's story, since we all know how breaking dawn and the training goes, I didn't want it to be boring or repetitive to any other fanfics. How do you like it?

Don't be a silent reader!