9th February 2004

A soft but constant beeping, a slow noise that brought him no peace, filled the room as he sat next to the weary teenager whose deep blue eyes had seen more than most her age would've seen in their fourteen years of life. He smoothed a hand down her sweat mattered copper ringlets, a smile on his face. "Happy birthday, little sister," he murmured.

An echoing snort, followed by violent coughing that soon fizzled out as he increased the oxygen dose through the nasal canula that was taped under her nose, a small, sad smile on his face as he laid his hand over hers. She weakly, loosely, limply, pointed a shaking, bony white finger at him. "You're only twenty minutes older," she whispered, her voice ashen as though it lacked the air to form the simplest of words.

He chuckled, gently rubbed the hand that once held so many needles, and now, couldn't be used for such again because of that, her other hand and arm having to make do with administering her extensive list of medications. "You got me, Georgie." He murmured, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Georgie gave a small smile, her eyes sliding shut softly before they fluttered back open, this time focussing on his face intensely. "Did you make contact?" She asked shakily.

His dark eyes focussed on hers as he shook his head. "No," he sighed softly. "I tried looking where you said to; no vampires were there," he answered and she swallowed, face twisting in a heavy grimace as he said that. "Then we have one more attempt, the most dangerous one of them all. We must go to the root of the source, to someone who is always in direct contact with them," she croaked out, her hand lightly, weakly, clasping his. "Will," she whispered. "They're our only chance." She breathed.

Will looked at Georgie, his dark eyes holding so much pain and love it was too much for her to bear, her eyes sliding shut slowly so she wouldn't have to see the look in his eyes. He smoothed a hand over her wet copper coloured strands of hair. "He's dangerous, Georgie. What if they kill Albert and don't tell the Volturi about our existence? What if he dies for nothing?" He asked briskly, his eyes wrought with worry.

A creak of the door made the fourteen year old turn his head, the weathered aging man making his presence known as he brought a steaming bowl of homemade soup into the room, setting it onto the small table beside his wards bed. "Then I die." He answered simply, calmly, as he pressed the button to make the bed raise a little, giving Georgie a warm smile as he took the seat on her opposite side. He looked at Will. "I have lived a long life, Master William. I have had sixty one years on this earth, and I have lived a most fulfilling one for the last four years, caring for you and Mistress Georgina. I will help any which way I can, and if talking to these immortal beings is the way to help save you both and I must die in order for you and your sister to live, then do that I will."

The fourteen year old looked at his knotted hands, a bony one coming into his view as soft, gentle fingers lifted his chin back up so his orbs met enchanting deep blue ones. His younger sister, his twin, his best friend, his everything, gave him a weak, trembling yet determined smile. She shook her head, the very motion causing her pain. "They won't kill him, Will." She whispered. Her twin blinked, yet remained silent, listening closely to her.

Georgina gave a small, wet sounding cough. "The Volturi aren't people you mess with and keep situations like ours from, and were the leaders to find out that such gifted individuals had been kept a secret from them, then they would annihilate Roderick and his cronies." She whispered, a small golden warmth covering his fingers as she grasped his hand.

He remained silent, nodding to Albert, the older male gently holding the bowl of steaming food. He gently spooned a spoonful into her mouth. The older man who'd seen things they could only dream about gave a warm smile. "If I can die for you to live a thousand years," he stated softly, giving her a small smile. He fed her another mouthful. "Then I would die now." He finished.

Her blue eyes became sorrowful. "I saw it, Albert." She whispered and he paused, giving her a look. "Your dreams?" He asked gently and she nodded. "You live, and the immortal takes you to Italy to tell the leaders yourself. One will want you executed, one will not care, and the last will want to read your mind with a mere touch of his hand. You must allow him." She whispered.

Albert nodded before he resumed feeding her, his mind whirling over the mere gift that both his wards had, and with a small smile he nodded once more, giving her knee a gentle pat before he handed the bowl to her brother, Will accepting it with a small smile of his own. She gave a small smile in return as he fed her a spoonful. "Is it a little cold?" He asked, the steam no longer billowing from the shimmering surface.

Her shaking fingers stretched out and hovered over the no longer steaming surface, steam soon starting to rise from it once again before she pulled her hand back, curling her pale fingers into the palm of her hand. William gave a small smile. "You ready to show them that when they come, just like I'll show them what I can do?" He murmured and she gave a smile of her own before her eyes fluttered shut, the blue dull as they reopened to accept another mouthful of the once again steaming bowl of soup.