"Here you are Adam." John Hancock said, after he finished signing his name boldly onto the paper.
I smiled at him as I grabbed the quill.
"I see you followed through with your plan to write your name big enough that King George won't need his spectacles to see it all the way from his throne in England." I said for all to hear, with a smirk.
The mass of men who stood behind me laughed at my words, as I took the step forward to the table with the important document.
Being a part of the founding of my home country was an experience I truly enjoyed and loved to do.
At the moment my work was far from done thought, and I was starting to run out of time.
I have been a known figure to many people for a bit over two decades, and it was starting to become obvious that I haven't changed in those years.
Spending most of my days with some of the smartest people in the Colonies didn't exactly help either.
Every now and again someone would say that exact thing.
"You still look as young as the day we met." They would say it as a joke, but it was only a matter of time before they actually asked that question, wanting an explanation as to why.
Of course I didn't just stay the 'same'.
I used tricks and some of my know-how to make small changes to myself to make me seem older.
I had a fake belly made to make it seem like I had put on some weight.
Then using the practically medieval makeup that was available to use at the moment, I learned to make small crease marks on my face like wrinkles at the corner of my eyes.
And instead of using my natural hair, I cut it short and started to wear a powdered wig.
I also didn't move the way I used to.
Instead, I started to lean more on my cane, as if I had a bad leg.
Which most people above the age of forty in this time period always seemed to do.
Dipping the quill into the Ink well that was placed on the table, I leaned over and signed my name.
Adam Gottes.
I used a fancy style of cursive with flourishes.
"I see you felt the same as me." John Hancock said with a laugh.
Stepping back, I handed the quill off to the next in line as I stepped away.
Going back to my seat to wait, I leaned back in the creaking chair as I started to think of what changes will be made from my original history, when we can finally get to making the constitution.
Which I had long thought about.
The most important additions would need to be a clear and explicit statement affirming the equality and inherent rights of all individuals, regardless of race, gender, or social status. This would lay the groundwork for a more inclusive and equitable society from the very beginning.
But unfortunately I knew it would be anything but easy to add.
Especially with all of these hard bitten men, who were easier to convince that slavery was wrong, then that women should have more rights then they currently had.
But I knew I could manage to squeeze out a few good additions for the future.
Under "regardless of race, gender, religion, or social status." I would also get added. "All such individuals cannot be hindered from the right given by God to own or acquire property, education, or fair legal representation.
This was for all people, of any race, or gender.
Of course I would have liked to add much more.
But what I knew would avoid many problems in later years, and wished to add, was to the rest of the delegates a radical mindset.
So I would take what I could.
"Why such a look all of the sudden?" Samuel Adams asked as he sat in his chair next to me.
I looked up.
"Just realizing how much more there is that needs to be done." I said with a small sigh.
He nodded his head.
"Yes…I feel the same." Samuel said with a chuckle. "But that is the burden we must carry so that one day we will have a prosperous nation of individuals freed from tyrannical monarchy." Samuel said, slowly building to a fervor.
I raised my hands to slow him down before he started to go on one of his rants.
"I get it Samuel. There's no need to explain it to me...Again." I said light heartedly.
He harrumphed as he turned back to watch the last man write his name down.
Later that day, I went about my normal routine.
Once done for the day, my personal carriage was waiting for me with the driver.
From there we would swing by a large market, where I would buy the needed food for dinner.
Especially since Carlisle was to be joining me tonight.
I had sent him a letter asking for him to join me tonight since I hadn't seen him in some time, and would like to catch up with him.
From the market I was taken home.
Stepping from my carriage, I waved at the driver as he pulled away.
Going up the stairs to my door, I froze as Something wafted to my nose.
A light sent drifted to me from the door.
'Someone is inside?' I thought, as I set my fresh groceries down.
'And it isn't Carlisle.'
Quickly taking out the key to the door, I unlocked it, and swung the door open.
Slowly, the large oak door opened quietly on their well oiled hinges to reveal the foyer of my large home.
Slowly stepping in, I opened my senses to full blast.
Over the many years I have been alive, I have come to learn that if I didn't at times block some of my senses, I would go mad from them.
Of course that wasn't exactly true, but the constant focus needed to keep my senses contained to just one area to stop my senses from picking up the rushes of information from half a mile in all directions could at times be too much and annoying to deal with.
So instead, I learned to turn it off.
Focusing my senses, I aimed them all at my house.
I could sense every sound the house made.
From the scurry of every mouse in the walls to the buzz of flies in the kitchen.
It was all there bright as day in my mind's eye.
But none of that made any difference as I used my nose to narrow down the direction the person took as I couldn't hear anything from them.
Following the smell, it led me right to my study.
Stopping at the threshold of the room, I saw a well dressed man in his early twenties standing in front of the glass case which held Excalibur.
'vampire' I thought, as soon as I saw him.
It wasn't hard to narrow that fact down, as I couldn't hear him breathing, or a beat of his heart.
"You know it is quite rude to just barge into someone's home." I said, as I leaned on the door frame.
The man slowly turned to look at me and it gave me a bit of a pause.
Not because of his blood red eyes, which I had been expecting, but because I knew this man.
'Eliazar' I thought, as the man's face rushed old blurry memories to the forefront of my mind.
"Mister Adam." He said with a slight bow of his head.
"Mm." I grumbled, as I pushed myself off the door frame.
Walking past Eliazar without concern, I grabbed the glass bottle of alcohol from my desk and poured me a glass.
Not turning to look at him, I raised the bottle.
"Would you like a drink?" I asked, knowing he would decline.
He sounded slightly stunned as he responded.
"No…thank you, Mister Adam."
I mentally chuckled at his pause.
'Throw them off their feet, and they lose all confidence every time.'
Most vampires are used to the fear they got from humans on a unconscious level.
So seeing such unconcerned behavior from what he probably thought of as a regular human, surprised him.
Setting the bottle down, I turned to look at him.
"What can I do for you?" I asked.
He seemed to pause again but only for a moment, before he straightened his back and spoke.
"The volturi wish to have a meeting with you."
I took another sip of my glass of whiskey before I set it down on the edge of my desk.
"Oh really." I said, before I pushed myself from my desk, and started to remove my coat.
"And why is that?" I asked, tossing my coat to one of the chairs.
"I do not know sir. But they did give me this." Eliazar said, before taking out a letter from his coat.
I raised a brow at it before taking it.
Breaking the wax seal I unfolded the letter.
" Adam,
You are summoned to the Volturi in Italy for a crucial meeting regarding the future. Your presence is expected.
Arrive promptly.
Aro."
"This must be a joke." I said with a laugh as I tossed the letter onto the desk.
"I can assure you that it is not." Eliazar said curtly.
I looked up and into Eliezer's eyes.
"And they just expect me to come along like a little pup at their whistle?" I asked, taking another sip of my drink.
He didn't say anything, and instead stared at me.
Crossing my arms over my now larger chest, I asked him a question.
"Did they tell you anything about me? Or did they just send you off to find me?"
He raised a brow.
"It is not for me to wonder why…just to do as they say."
I smirked at him.
"I'll take that as a no." I said with a small laugh and a shake of my head.
"you do wonder why though…right? I'm just a mundane human, Why would the volturi want to speak with me?"
Switching my language to Spanish I continued.
"I think I know why you are here." I said with a smile.
Bringing my hand up, I took off the stuiped wig and tossed it to the side.
"What did your power tell you about me?" I asked, as I started to undo my buttoned up vest and tunic.
Eliazar creased his brow.
"That you are a human and have no dormant powers." He said, as I pulled my tunic off to reveal the large leather belly I wore under my clothes.
Reaching behind me, I unbuckled the metal clasp that held the straps.
Tossing it to the chair, I smirked at him, as he looked me up and down.
"I see they didn't learn anything from our last meeting." I said, giving him a smile.
"And if it was anyone but you here I would have ripped them limb from limb on sight." I said, my voice turning to ice as the smile vanished from my face.
"I must insist sir that you come with me." Eliazar said, his face covered in confusion and concern, with a little uneasiness mixed in.
I gave him a smirk.
"You poor summer child. You don't even know how much shit they have sent you to step in." I said with mirth.
Then before he could comprehend what was happening I was behind him.
Grabbing him by his head I started to squeeze.
The sound of cracking filled the room as Eliazar dropped to his knees in pain with a shout of shock.
I was only able to squeeze for a moment, before the sound of my front door exploding caused me to halt for a moment and turn.
"Ahh, Carlisle, you're here." I said, with a bright smile, as he came blurring into the room, ready for a fight.
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Don't worry Eliazar isn't going to die, it will be explained in the next chapter what is happening.