Chapter 88

[SHOUT OUT CORNER FOR OUR NEW PATRONS and KoFi mems!!!🥳 🎉🎊🥂]

-ALBERTO CERVANTES

We're currently at chapter 125 in patreon and KoFi, and more to go. Some surprises there, and more to come.

Thank you so much for the support. It's helping me battle it out with life atm. Wooo. Thanks to the patrons, I can manage to fund this. 🥹

Anywho. Here's another chap.

~~

Robin's POV

After the family meeting, everyone scattered like snowflakes in a gust of wind, off to do their own thing. Nobody felt the need to rush, considering there wasn't anything urgent—unless the couple suddenly decided to have a baby, which seemed unlikely.

My dad and Eleazar, though, were way too intrigued by the idea that I, of all people, could get a woman pregnant. I mean, a vampire woman at that! Everyone knows vampires are basically walking marble statues—no eating, no sleeping, no... uh, bodily functions, except for venom. Sparkling in the sunlight, drinking blood for sustenance—it's the whole undead starter pack. Sure, you get a super-upgraded body that looks like it's been Photoshopped in real life, but the trade-offs are heavy.

And one of the biggest trade-offs? No kids. A long-lived being like a vampire might not age, but that doesn't mean they don't get hit with the baby fever eventually. That's why Dad and Eleazar were practically ready to break out the lab coats and safety goggles. They wanted to figure out how I, a hybrid of a siren and a vampire, could make another woman pregnant without, you know, having the equipment typically required for the job.

Before I left to enjoy the snowy wonderland outside, Dad asked for a little bit of my blood for research. He looked super apologetic about it, like he was afraid I'd have flashbacks to being a lab rat for those psycho scientists before they adopted me. I told him it was fine. Just don't start calling me 'Subject Zero,' okay, Dad?

As Rosalie and I walked out into the snow, she broke the silence.

"I really thought I'd have to give up my dream of becoming a mother..." She stared at the snow-covered ground. "When I was human, I thought maybe we could adopt or... make arrangements with a man. But once I turned, it felt impossible—too dangerous, too many rules."

"It's real, love. Alice already confirmed it," I said, squeezing her hand. Honestly, the idea of Rosalie even considering having some random guy's baby in the past still made me bristle. Vampire instincts, okay? We're possessive of our mates. Sue me.

"It's gonna be a girl," I said, smiling as I imagined her. "A mix of you and me. A little mini-us. Don't you think she'll be adorable? Perfect?"

"She'll be too dazzling for this world to handle," Rosalie replied, a soft smile on her face. "She'll have everyone wrapped around her little finger—just like you already do with your family."

"True," I agreed, grinning. "And don't think I didn't notice you leaving yourself out of that. Weren't you the one squirming under me the other night, with my hands around that gorgeous neck of yours?" I teased, shooting her a mischievous look.

Rosalie's eyes widened in shock, her face turning a shade that would've been red if vampires could blush. For all her elegance, she wasn't used to my... colorful comments. Born in a more buttoned-up era, she still got flustered easily. Me? I'm from the future—or a reincarnated one, anyway (not that they know, and I'll never tell). Women in my time were way more open about these things.

"Robin!" she hissed, looking around like someone might've overheard.

Spoiler alert: someone did.

"Proud of you, bestie! Still got your game!" Isaac shouted from somewhere in the distance.

"Don't worry, Rosalie!" Kate chimed in. "I still don't like you much, but you're family now. I'll teach you how to fight back!"

"Oh, and Rosalie?" Emmett called out, ever the chaos gremlin. "Isaac likes being choked too! He even asked me to—"

"EMMETT!" Isaac's voice cut him off, clearly mortified.

Then came the voice of reason—or so she thought.

"Robin Liesha Cullen!" Esme yelled, her tone stern but maternal. "Be mindful of the time and place! You're troubling your mate!"

What followed was a chorus of laughter and chaos from Tanya, Irina, and Carmen:

"Don't listen to her, Robin! Keep going!"

Rosalie groaned, hiding her face in her hands, while I just laughed. Yeah, this was my life now. A family full of chaos, love, and way too much eavesdropping.

"You're laughing at me, huh?" Rosalie narrowed her eyes, her glare sharp enough to pierce through my smug grin. "You know what? We still have those conversations we put on hold. You know, the ones about why we broke up—and everything in between."

My laughter faded immediately. "Uh, yeah, we do... but do you really want to hash it out right now? Here?"

"Yes," she said firmly, crossing her arms. "It's not like we'll have privacy anywhere else, anyway."

Before I could respond, my mother chimed in, ever the problem solver. "Honey, you could always go to a hotel, like your father and I used to do when you were little!"

The entire clearing went dead silent for a beat.

Rosalie's jaw dropped. "No! We're not going there! We're staying here! We—"

"Oh my ROB!" I interrupted, feigning shock as I placed a hand over my chest. "The Rosalie Hale, my mate—are you implying you don't want the privacy of a hotel to avoid our family's superpowered eavesdropping? You'd rather do it right here, right now? I didn't know you had these kinds of... tendencies."

Rosalie shot me a glare hotter than a solar flare.

"OOOOH! Rosalie, you nasty girl! Get it!" Isaac hooted from somewhere in the distance.

"I think I might like you a little now," Kate added with a sly grin.

A chorus of laughter erupted around us. Everyone knew I was just teasing, but Rosalie was clearly two seconds away from combusting.

"No!" she snapped, her voice sharp but flustered. "That's not what I meant, and you all know it!" She groaned, taking a deep breath—pure habit, since vampires didn't need oxygen. "I wanted to spar. To let out frustrations about the stupid decisions we made when we were younger."

"A spar, huh?" I cocked an eyebrow, intrigued. "So you've been training while cooped up here?"

Rosalie's lips twitched into a smirk. "You'll see."

The words barely left her mouth before she launched herself at me, her movements a blur even to my enhanced vision. I dodged to the side just in time, her fist narrowly missing my face. The snow exploded where she landed, sending a spray of white powder into the air.

"Oh, it's on now!" I shouted, shaking snow off my coat.

She didn't wait for me to recover, coming at me again with a ferocious kick aimed at my chest. I blocked it with my forearm, the force of the impact making me skid back a few feet.

"I'm impressed!" I yelled as I countered with a low sweep kick, trying to knock her off balance. "You've been practicing!"

Rosalie jumped over my leg, landing gracefully before swinging a punch at my stomach. I caught her wrist, twisting her arm to pull her off balance.

"Why didn't you tell me about your plan to marry that guy?" I growled, yanking her closer so we were face-to-face.

Rosalie wrenched her arm free, spinning out of my grasp. She aimed a kick at my side, which I narrowly deflected. "Because I knew you'd lose your mind!"

"Oh, you mean like I did when I found out you were secretly engaged?" I shot back, dodging another punch.

Rosalie smirked, using my distraction to sweep my legs out from under me. I hit the ground hard, but rolled away before she could pin me.

"You didn't even let me explain!" she snapped, leaping at me. I flipped onto my feet just in time, catching her mid-air and tossing her to the side. She landed in a crouch, glaring at me.

"What was there to explain?" I retorted. "You had a secret agreement with him—married on paper because he was gay and aiming for Isaac! Meanwhile, I'm over here thinking he's your lover and losing my damn mind!"

Rosalie lunged at me again, this time feinting to the left before landing a solid hit on my ribs. I grunted, stumbling back, but managed to grab her by the waist and toss her over my shoulder.

"It wasn't my fault you didn't stick around to hear the truth!" she yelled, landing gracefully on her feet. She charged at me, her eyes blazing. "You compelled me to forget everything, Robin! You didn't even give me a chance to explain after the wedding!"

"Oh, so it's my fault now?" I asked, dodging a rapid series of punches. "You think I wanted to erase my memories of us? Do you know what that felt like for me?"

"Do you know what it felt like for me?" Rosalie shot back, landing a hit on my shoulder that sent me spinning. "I didn't tell you because I knew how possessive and overprotective you were! I was afraid you'd do something stupid!"

I wiped snow off my face, grinning despite the sting in my shoulder. "You mean like this?" I lunged forward, grabbing her by the arm and flipping her onto the ground. Before she could recover, I pinned her down, straddling her waist. "Admit it, Rosalie. You like it when I'm overprotective."

Her eyes narrowed. "Get off me."

"Make me."

With a growl, she twisted her hips, using her legs to throw me off balance. I tumbled into the snow, and she was on me in a flash, pinning me by my wrists.

The sound of clapping and cheering broke through our heated standoff.

"Woo! Go, Rosalie!" Tanya yelled, grinning like a lunatic.

"Kick her ass!" Kate added.

Isaac, ever the instigator, shouted, "Robin, you're losing! Don't embarrass yourself, bestie!"

Rosalie looked down at me, her lips twitching into a small smile despite herself. "You know this isn't over, right?"

I smirked up at her, ignoring the snow soaking into my back. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

The fight might've ended, but the war between us was far from over. And honestly? I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Oh, if you're wondering where all the younger ones are—well, technically younger, since Jane and Alec are way older than most of us—they're at the Volturi.

The twins have duties there, so they can't be away for too long. Coraline went along for a vacation with her mate, Jane. Alice and Jasper are tagging along because they need to be formally introduced to the Volturi kings as new members of my family's coven. I also asked Alice to deliver a package to Marcus, which has a hidden message for him.

Edward went as our family's representative. He's there to help wherever he can, smoothing things over and making sure no diplomatic bridges are accidentally set on fire. Don't worry, though—I sealed away all the important secrets and memories before they left. Aro won't know a thing, no matter how much he tries to poke around.

The package I sent to Marcus? That one's a big deal. It's a list of words to unlock a temporary memory seal I placed on the others. The message also includes a request: I advised him to ask Alice to use her gift to check on his mate—Aro's sister. Aro told Marcus she was dead, supposedly killed by one of the real werewolves (not shifters like Nasu). But the truth? Marcus's mate isn't dead. She's alive, being held somewhere.

Alice's ability to see the future and Jasper's expertise in reading and influencing emotions will be critical in tracking her down. They're a dream team for this mission.

As for Nasu, I sent him away to take care of some business. What? Shocked that the shifter who imprinted on me can be away from me? Relax, weirdos. We've already established that I'm not about to play Daddy Long Legs or sing Sweet Home Alabama. I'm perfectly safe here, so his wolfy instincts are calm enough to let my family watch over me for now.

~~

Time skip to 1962

1962

The living room was quiet, except for the hum of the television. Some of the family lounged around with me, half-watching a random program. I wasn't paying much attention; it was background noise at best.

That changed when I caught the tail end of a comment.

"...the design on her necklace looks familiar. Doesn't it remind you of—"

I stiffened, my enhanced hearing zoning in. My head snapped toward the screen.

It was an interview with Marilyn Monroe. She sat there, radiant as always, with her signature smile lighting up the room. But that's not what caught my attention. No, it was the necklace.

The pendant she was fiddling with wasn't just any necklace—it was the necklace.

My necklace.

The official insignia the Volturi kings had granted me decades ago, a symbol of my contributions to our vampire community. I'd only ever given it to one person.

My throat tightened. My mind raced.

No. It couldn't be.

But there she was on screen, fiddling with it deliberately as if trying to send a message.

It was NJ.

The little girl I had loved as my own daughter. The little girl whose safety had meant more to me than anything, so much so that I'd stayed away after her mother and I split. It was safer that way. I had people watching over her, protecting her, guiding her career in the shadows. But I had always kept my distance. Updates were all I allowed myself, and even those felt like a knife to the heart every time.

NJ had always dreamed of becoming a star.

And now, staring at Marilyn Monroe on the screen, realization crashed into me like a freight train.

If the woman on that screen was my NJ—my NJ—all grown up, and if she had my insignia, then...

"Shit," I breathed, bolting upright. My mind was spinning, my heart pounding with an urgency I hadn't felt in years.

"What's wrong?" Rosalie asked, sitting up beside me, alarmed by my sudden movement.

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

It was 1962.

Marilyn Monroe.

My NJ.

Oh god.

"Please, Rob, don't let me be too late," I whispered under my breath as I darted out of the room, already formulating a plan.

Something wasn't right.

And I needed to fix it—now.

~~

AN: another chap down, more to go. Yup.

I wont bore you with jibber jabber.

As always, thanks for the loyal readers and supporters who gave their support in different ways, I appreciate all of them. Truly, I still get notifs of our FF being added to their collection, and that warms my heart... And i still see people sending their power stones, and knowing how few people get, I can appreciate it more. Also seeing people send comments that are funny and sweet, even just an acknowledgement that you've read it, makes my heart flutter. So thank you guys... I love our little community, everyone's pretty decent and wholesome. 😭♥️

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