THE NEXT DAY AFTER, BELLA SUMMONED ME TO accompany her on an errand while Jacob and Renesmee made their way to Charlie's humble abode. I was clueless as to what the task entailed, but I knew it was of utmost importance to Bella. Whether it was a joyous or sorrowful affair, she needed me by her side.

As we made our way to the car, I observed Renesmee's excitement as she eagerly awaited Jacob's arrival. She was adorned in a brown coat, grey leggings, and brown boots, looking like a miniature fashionista. I sat at the back with her while Bella hopped into Edward's Volvo.

"Hey, Ness," I greeted her, causing her to turn her small head towards me. "Are you excited to see your grandpa?"

She nodded and placed her hand on my cheek, a gesture she often used to communicate with others.

"Where are you and Momma going?" she inquired in my mind.

I shrugged my shoulders, and Renesmee removed her hand. "I don't know," I replied. "Perhaps it's a surprise."

"Why can't we take your Ferrari?" Jacob grumbled as he joined us in the garage.

"Too conspicuous," Bella retorted. "We could walk, but that would alarm Charlie."

"She has a point," I concurred.

Jacob grumbled some more but eventually settled into the front seat, with Renesmee clambering onto his lap.

"How are you?" Bella inquired as she gracefully manoeuvred her car out of the garage.

"What do you think?" Jacob retorted, his tone laced with bitterness. "I'm sick and tired of these putrid bloodsuckers." He caught our disapproving glances and spoke before we could interject. "I know, I know. They're the supposed good guys, here to lend a helping hand and save us all. Blah, blah, blah. But let's be real, Dracula One and Dracula Two are beyond creepy."

Bella and I exchanged amused grins at his remark. The Romanian coven had never been my cup of tea, especially after what they had done to my father and Joseph.

"I couldn't agree more," Bella chimed in.

"I'll drink to that," I added with a smirk.

Renesmee's head shook in a silent denial, yet her eyes betrayed a deep fascination with the Romanians. Unlike the rest of us, she found their enigmatic aura alluring. Perhaps it was her youthful curiosity that made her so intrigued by them. Despite their reluctance to be touched, she had mustered the courage to engage them in conversation. Her inquisitive mind had probed them about their peculiar skin, and I couldn't help but wonder if they would take offence.

Her curiosity had not appeared to have caused any distress among them. Perhaps a hint of wistfulness lingered in their demeanour.

"We sat still for a very long time, child," Vladimir had answered, with Stefan nodding along but not continuing Vladimir's sentences as he often did.

"Contemplating our own divinity. It was a sign of our power that everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, those seeking our favour. We sat on our thrones and thought ourselves gods. We didn't notice for a long time that we were changing— almost petrifying. I suppose the Volturi did us one favour when they burned our castles. Stefan and I, at least, did not continue to petrify. Now the Volturi's eyes are filmed with dusty scum, but ours are bright. I imagine that will give us an advantage when we gouge theirs from their sockets."

Bella made a valiant effort to shield Renesmee from their venomous presence, and I couldn't fault her for it. But their words, oh their words, they reverberated through my mind like a never-ending echo.

Their insidious plan to use the child as a weapon to obliterate the Volturi was sickening. The mere thought of it made my skin crawl. And yet, they were willing to sacrifice everything, including their own coven, to achieve their twisted goal.

Their taunting words lingered in the air like a foul stench, "You think apologising will change anything?" They sneered, their eyes glinting with malice.

But it was the final blow that left me reeling, "Well, if the child is not going to destroy the Volturi, then perhaps she will." The callousness of their words was enough to make my body sniff.

"Hey, how long do we get to hang around with Charlie?" Jacob's voice cut through my thoughts like a sharp knife, interrupting my reverie.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself from their words. Jacob seemed to visibly relax as we pulled away from the house, his muscles loosening as we drove further away.

"For quite a while, actually," Bella replied, her voice tinged with a hint of mystery. Jacob's attention was piqued, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her.

"Is there something else going on here besides visiting your dad?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Jake, you know how you're pretty good at controlling your thoughts around Edward?" Bella's voice was soft, almost conspiratorial.

Jacob raised one thick black brow, his eyes flickering with understanding. "Yeah? Considering you're taking Violet with you?"

Bella nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, that's part of it. But there's more to it than that."

I couldn't help but feel curious. "Why did you want me to go with you?"

Bella turned to me, her eyes warm and friendly. "Just spending some time. Catching up, you know. It's been too long since we've hung out together."

Bella gave a subtle nod, her gaze darting towards Renesmee. I followed her line of sight and saw her daughter staring out the window, lost in her own thoughts. It was hard to gauge how much she was absorbing from our conversation, but we didn't press the matter any further.

Jacob lingered, hoping for someone to break the silence. His lower lip jutted out as he pondered the scant words we had exchanged. The car hummed along, the only sound the pitter-patter of raindrops against the windshield. Bella squinted through her contacts, trying to make out the blurry scenery outside. I glanced over and saw the rain trickling down the glass, leaving a trail of droplets in its wake. It was too warm for snow, but the chill in the air was palpable.

I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window and noticed that my eyes were still as bright as they had been when we first set out. They glowed with a golden sheen, almost otherworldly in their intensity.

Jacob was still mulling over our abbreviated conversation when we pulled up to Charlie's house. We stepped out into the rain, hurrying towards the shelter of the porch. Charlie was already waiting for us, his hand on the doorknob before Bella could even knock.

"Hey guys! It feels like forever since we last met. Look at you, Nessie, come to Grampa! By the heavens, you've grown at least half a foot! And you look so skinny, Ness," he said, his eyes fixed on Bella.

"Are you not feeding her up there?" he asked, his tone accusatory.

"It's just a growth spurt, Dad," Bella interjected. "Hey, Sue," she called out, trying to divert his attention.

The aroma of chicken, tomato, garlic, and cheese wafted from the kitchen, tantalising everyone's senses. But amidst the delicious scent, I could also detect the freshness of pine and the mustiness of packing dust.

Renesmee flashed her dimples, but she remained silent in front of Charlie.

"Come on in, kids. It's freezing outside," Charlie said, ushering us inside. "Where's my son-in-law?"

"Entertaining friends," Jacob replied, snorting. "You're lucky you're out of the loop, Charlie. That's all I'm going to say."

Bella playfully punched Jacob in the kidney, causing Charlie to wince and me to chuckle.

"Ow," Jacob muttered under his breath.

"Better him than me," I whispered to Jacob, making him shrug it off.

"Actually, Charlie, I have some errands to run," Bella said, and Jacob shot me a knowing glance.

"Behind on your Christmas shopping, Bells? You only have a few days left," Charlie reminded her.

"Yeah, Christmas shopping," she replied, her voice lacking conviction.

Charlie's gaze shifted towards me, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. "Hey there, Violet," he drawled, his voice laced with a playful tone. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over for Christmas?"

My heart skipped a beat at the invitation, and I couldn't help but smile. "I would love to," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

Charlie's grin widened, and he leaned in closer. "That's fantastic," he murmured. "Oh, and Leah mentioned that Ethan might be joining us. You know him, right?"

I hesitated for a moment, my mind racing to come up with a plausible story. Then, an idea struck me. "Yes, he's actually a friend of mine from Oxford," I lied smoothly.

Charlie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? Did you guys study together?"

I shook my head, trying to sound convincing. "Not exactly. We just hung out a lot outside of class."

He nodded, his attention shifting to Renesmee, who was playing quietly on the floor. "Don't worry, Nessie," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I've got your back if your mom drops the ball."

Bella rolled her eyes at him, but I couldn't help but feel grateful for his kindness. As for me, I hadn't even thought about the holidays until now. But with Charlie's invitation, I knew it was going to be a Christmas to remember.

"Lunch's on the table!" Sue's voice echoed through the house, beckoning us to the kitchen. "C'mon, guys."

Bella and Jacob shared a fleeting glance, bidding farewell to her father.

"See you later, Dad," Bella said, her voice laced with affection.

"Bye, Charlie and Sue," I added, my eyes scanning.

As we climbed into the sleek Volvo, our friends waved goodbye with bittersweet smiles. Bella revved the engine and we sped off, leaving the quaint house behind us. The wind whipped through our hair as we drove, but the silence between us was deafening. Suddenly, I noticed Bella's knuckles turning white as she gripped the steering wheel with a deathly grip.

"Bella?" I asked, my voice laced with concern. "Are you alright? You seem a bit... tense?"

Bella bit her lip and took a deep breath, her amber eyes fixed on the road ahead. "It's Alice," she finally said, her voice heavy with worry.

This caught my attention. "What about her?"

"She had a vision of the Volturi coming for us," Bella explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's why she and Jasper haven't returned."

I nodded, my mind racing with questions. Why hadn't they come back? What did Alice see? The weight of the unknown hung heavy in the air as we drove on.

"Before they left, Alice wrote a message for us, saying we need to gather witnesses before the snow hits the ground."

"Why?" I was confused by her.

"That's when they'll come," Bella answered grimly. "Then I realised that she wrote it on a torn paper from a book: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. On the other side, it said the address at Seattle and a name."

"Wait, Seattle?" I sounded surprised.

The name of the city sent shivers down my spine, for it was there that I had unknowingly spent my final days as a human. The memories flooded back, and I couldn't help but wonder what Alice's message meant for us.