I WOULDN'T MIND

fifteen. new Orleans

▬▬ "CAN YOU PLAY THE PIANO, Aunt Cori?" Renesmee asked, her voice small as she looked up at the short vampire, who was perched on the grand piano, Emmett between her legs. The couple had put off their traveling a little longer because Rensemee was growing so fast that it had everyone a little nervous, and as it turned out Cori and the kid had grown pretty attached to each other – joined at the hip as Bella liked to tease.

"Um, kinda." She nodded. "I know one song."

The little girl's smile grew, her eyes going wide with excitement. "Can you play it?" It had merely been a few months since she was born but Renesmee looked to be about seven years old and she was smart, too.

"Okay." Cori shrugged, pushing Emmett back as she jumped down then she rounded the piano. "Move it, Psycho." She shoved Edward's shoulder and he rolled his eyes as he stood up and Cori took his seat. "It's been a while, I'm a little rusty."

"Oh God." Edward shook his head as they all watched as Cori moved her hands to the keys. "Of all the songs-"

Cori sent him a glare. "Hush." He raised his hands as if to surrender and Emmett grinned as he leaned his elbows on the piano, his eyes on his girlfriend as she played the first note then the second, and third.

Jasper chuckled. "My Chemical Romance?" He raised his brow.

"It's the only song I know." She defended. "I had a phase."

"When I was a young boy-"

"Stop." Edward cut Emmett off, his eyes narrowed.

"Sorry, Ratatouille. I do not know how to play the piano." She patted the kid on her head. "I tried."

"I liked the three notes you played." She grinned and Cori chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her.

"You're my new favorite."

"Ouch." Emmett mumbled.

"Ha ha." Renesmee teased him, leaning more into Cori and the others chuckled at the interaction.

"Why are you so mean to me?" He asked the kid, his eyebrows pinched. "I have been nothing but nice to you."

"Yesterday you pushed me away from Cori because you said I was hogging her."

"That's not-"

"The day before that, you told me you were gonna throw me out the window if I beat you at Mario Kart... again."

"Okay, I was-"

"And just this morning you smacked my forehead and told me that I could've had a V8. I don't even know what that means."

"Emmett." Cori scolded, her eyebrows narrowed at him.

"What?" He shrugged his large shoulders. "I was messing around... mostly."

"No throwing my kid." Bella told him, her finger pointed at him and he raised his hands as if to surrender. "Now, why don't you show everyone what you've been practicing." She turned, a smile on her lips as she looked at the vampire-human hybrid.

"Okay." She grinned and Cori pushed herself up, rounding the piano to stand by her boyfriend. He smiled as he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her into his chest.

"We're gonna have a talk later, mister." She hummed and though she fought it, a smile pulled at her lips. Then Rensemee started playing, hitting each note perfectly as everyone else watched with smiles. "You're in so much trouble."

"Oh, please say you're gonna tie me up." He mumbled, his voice low but the others heard it – everyone choosing to ignore it.

"Maybe." She shrugged, turning to watch the kid.

"Maybe I'll tie you up." He whispered, resting his chin on his shoulder.

"Seriously, guys. In front of Ren?" Travis scoffed, shaking his head at the two. "You both need to be hosed off, or something. We are definitely not that bad." He mumbled as he turned to look at Rosalie over his shoulder.

"Absolutely not." She shook her head, leaning forward to press her lips against his – though she didn't quite agree. The first several years after they had met, after he had turned, was nothing but courtship – he insisted – and then copious amounts of pda and some rather inappropriate whispered words that when surrounded by vampires weren't really whispers.

"Stop interrupting." Renesmee narrowed her eyes at them and they all closed their mouths and she smiled, satisfied as she started playing again. The only sound that filled the room was the soft notes of the song Edward had taught her, and he smiled proudly as he sat next to her.

Alice smiled as she entered the room, fresh flowers in a vase but her smile faded and a gasp left her lips then the vase hit the floor and shattered at her feet. She looked at the mess then around the room, everyone had turned towards her and Jasper was at her side in a second, his hand on her back.

"What is it, Alice?" He asked, seeing the worry, the fear, and the confusion on her face.

"The Volturi."

"What do they want?" Cori questioned, leaning into Emmett and his hand tightened around hip. "Bella's a vampire, I'm a vampire. What else is there?"

"They're coming for us." Her eyes met Cori's before her eyes settled on the youngest in the room as Bella rounded the piano, moving closer to her daughter. "Aro, Caius, Marcus, the Guard. And Irina."

"Honey, come here." She waved Renesmee towards her and the kid stood up before standing in front of her mother.

"Why?" Carlisle asked.

"What did Irina see in the woods?" Edward asked quickly. As it turns out, Irina had made the trip from Alaska to reconcile with the Cullens – with Bella – after what happened at the wedding. But upon seeing Jacob in wolf form, she bolted before getting the chance to talk to them.

"We were just walking." Bella answered.

"Ness was catching snowflakes." Jacob added.

Edward's brow creased a little as his face fell, seeing it in Jacob's head. "Of course. Irina thinks Renesmee is an immortal child."

"A what?" Cori asked, her eyebrows pinched.

"Rose, why don't you and Travis take Renesmee outside." Carlisle suggested and the blonde nodded as she rounded the piano, offering her hand to the kid as Travis followed.

"Can we go see Seth?" Renesmee asked, looking up at Rosalie.

"Of course, we can, Squirt." Travis answered as they left the room, Renesmee reaching out to hold his hand as well. And once they were gone, the kid out of ear shot, Carlisle nodded for the others to follow him.

Once they reached the office, he pulled out a few books, flipping them open and laying them on the desk. "The immortal children were very beautiful. So enchanting." Carlisle explained as Bella flipped through the book before her. "To be near them was to love them. But their development was frozen at the age they were turned. They couldn't be taught or restrained. A single tantrum could destroy an entire village. Humans heard about the devastation. Stories spread. The Volturi were forced to intervene.

"Since the children couldn't protect our secret, they had to be destroyed. Their creators grew very attached and fought to protect them. Long-established covens were torn apart. Countless humans, slaughtered. Traditions, friends, even families. Lost."

"So the Danalis' mother made an immortal child?" Bella asked upon the realization. Cori shifted on her feet, leaning into Emmett's side as her hands fisted around the shirt he wore.

"Yes. And she paid the price."

"Well, Renesmee's nothing like those children." Bella almost snapped, her mother's instincts coming into play. "She was born, not bitten. She grows every single day."

"So can't you just explain that to the Volturi?" Jacob asked.

"Aro has enough proof in Irina's thoughts." Edward answered, shaking his head a little.

"But that's not proof, it's a misunderstanding." Cori added. "Hearsay, at best. He can't really take that at face-value."

"But he has." Edward gave her a sad smile as a tense silence filled the room.

"So we fight." Jacob all but declared.

"Their offensive weapons are too powerful." Jasper argued. "No one can stand against Jane."

"Alec's even worse." Alice added, her scared eyes moving to Cori. "Even if Cori could use their own gifts against them, it's not enough."

"Well, then we convince them." The determination to protect her daughter rolled off of her in waves.

"Would that even work? If Aro's made up his mind, is there even a chance of changing it?" Cori questioned.

"They're coming to kill us, not to talk." Emmett stated simply, his hands tightening around Cori – one firmly on her hip and the other on the small of her back.

"No, you're right. They won't listen to us." Edward agreed, but everyone could see that his wheels were turning. "But maybe others can convince them. Carlisle, you have friends all around the world."

"I won't ask them to fight." Carlisle crossed his arms over his chest, not wanting to put his friends in danger.

"Not fight. Witness. If enough people knew the truth, maybe we could convince the Volturi to listen." Edward explained.

"We can ask this of our friends." Esme put her hand on her husband's crossed arms, he moved a hand and placed his over hers, giving her a soft smile as he nodded.

>>>>> • <<<<<

▬▬ "AT LEAST WE'RE GETTING TO TRAVEL." Emmett gave Cori a small smile as he dropped their bags on the floor in the kitchen. "I know it's not-" She silenced him with a kiss, her hands on his cheeks as she stood on her toes.

She giggled at the dopey smile on his face as she dropped back to her heels, her Doc Martens clunking against the floor lightly. "I told you yesterday, I don't care about our travel plans. All that matters now is making sure the rugrat is safe. And when all of this is over, and we're not dead, then we can focus on traveling."

"Okay." He nodded, but he knew that she was putting on a brave face. She was terrified, he could tell just from the look in her eyes and the way her fingers fidgeted with her sleeve or the end of her skirt – which he had realized she was wearing more of recently. Only he didn't know that every skirt or dress she wore was merely for him. Well, mostly. She liked having his hands on her bare thighs whenever possible. "I like the skirt by the way." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, his fingers grazing the end of the charcoal colored fabric.

She beamed as she looked up at him. "Good." She peaked his lips once more before turning away from him and he smiled as her hair whirled around in loose curls with a simple white ribbon tied around the portion that had been pulled back – Rosalie's doing.

And after getting a note from Sam saying that Alice and Jasper had left, though he was merely the messenger, they all separated to different parts of the world – Carlisle and Esme headed to Europe. Edward, Bella, Jacob, and Renesmee to Alaska, while Cori and Emmett split half the United States with Rosalie and Travis.

And after some goodbyes and several hugs, everyone left.

>>>>> • <<<<<

▬▬ "ALWAYS WANTED TO see New Orlens." Cori mumbled, her boots thudding against the concrete as her wide, golden eyes took in her surroundings.

"We'll come back." Emmett brought her hand up and lightly kissed her knuckles, making her smile.

"Are you sure he's here?" She asked after a moment, as far as she had seen, it was just them and a drunk guy singing very badly only for a grunt and a thud to cut him off.

"Yep." Emmett nodded.

"Shut up!" The vampire groaned, his hands around the drunk guy's neck as he held him against the wall – his feet dangling above the ground – as the couple rounded the corner quickly but quietly. "I hated the first British Invasion. And I hate the second one even more."

"Even the Beatles?" Emmett asked, and the vampire turned, his red eyes on the burly vampire before he looked at the petite girl at his side. "Really, Garret?"

"Old habits die hard." He smirked. "Who's your friend?" His eyes never leaving the girl, she was tiny compared to Emmett – her boots only giving her an extra inch or two. Her hair was curled, half pulled up, a leather jacket covered her arms and the gray sweater she wore and her legs were only covered by a short, white skirt.

"I'm Cori."

"Hello, Cori." He nodded his head a little, the smirk never leaving his face. And it was like he didn't even feel the human struggling to get away from him. "Now, what brings you here, Cori?" He tilted his head a little, his eyes still roaming over her. Emmett tugged her closer to him, his hand falling from hers as he wrapped his arm around her possessively, making Garret chuckle. "Not just a friend, got it." He mumbled, mostly to himself.

"Carlisle needs you." She spoke, her hand fishing around the front of Emmett's shirt. "It's important."

He let the human drop to the ground as he turned towards them. "Sounds interesting."

"Not really the word I'd use, but sure." Cori shrugged, getting a small chuckle from her boyfriend and another smirk from the red-eyed man in front of her.

"Help!" The human cried out, his voice echoing off the empty corridor.

"But first, I better finish my meal." And in a second he was on the human, despite him screaming and Cori's eyes went black when the smell of blood filled the air. Her lips parted and she took a step, hunger driving her. "I'll share." Garret smirked, looking up from his dinner, two lines of blood dripping down his chin and his eyes narrowed playfully. "But only this time." He knew Carlisle ran a tight ship, sticking to the vegetarian diet so he didn't expect what Cori did next.

"Cori." Emmett tightened his arm around her, but she shoved him into the wall. A grunt left his lips from the impact, the wall cracking a little behind his large body, but she didn't seem to care as she sped towards Garrett and the limp human. "Cori!" He tried to stop her, rushing towards her but she had already sunk her teeth into his neck, a satisfied hum leaving her lips. And in seconds the human was drained completely. She sat up, her eyes closed as she licked her lips. She had felt that feeling only once and the only way she could describe it was high, blissfully so.

And when she opened her eyes Emmett could see the swirl of red in her golden irises, then her gaze dropped to the dead human. Her blissfulness vanished, her shoulders sinking as she parted her lips. Nothing but a small whimper left her.

"I take it she's new?" Garrett raised an eyebrow at Emmett, who had his jaw clenched tight and his hands balled into fists as he tried to ignore the smell of blood in the air. "How new?"

"Couple months." He gritted out before squatting down and grabbing Cori's shoulder, keeping his eyes trained on her. She was the only thing that mattered, even as his throat burned for just a drop of human blood. "Shortcake?" Her eyes met his and despite the warm feeling in her gut she looked scared of herself. Of what she was capable of.

"I-I'm sorry." She rushed out, shaking her head a little. "I couldn't- I didn't mean- I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He gave her a comforting smile as he wiped at the blood on her chin with his thumb, his eyes never leaving hers. "It's okay, Shortcake." She nodded her head but she couldn't push away the rush of guilt she felt.

"I feel like I owe you an apology." Garrett spoke, though his voice was light. It was clear that he took very little seriously, even the situation before him.

Emmett gave him a harsh look. "Shut up." Garrett simply raised his hands in surrender and shut his mouth. "Come on, baby, let's get you cleaned up." Cori numbly nodded as Emmett pulled her to her feet, keeping her pressed to his side. And after Garrett disposed of the body – and a quick shower – they were on the first flight back to Washington. New Orleans was their last stop.