Disclaimer: I do not own most of these characters. They are the wondrous creation of Steph Meyer!

A/N: I wasn't quite ready to post this. I wanted to get it at least half way finished so that I could have a good idea where it was going and a title that actually had something to do with it this time(ex: Demetri's Desire which has very little to do with Demetri), but alas, I could wait no longer. So, please let me know what you think and what you'd like to see happen or cleared up from the last story. I imagine that the posts for this will be infrequent, like once a week as I have a tough course load at school this semester. Just thought you should be warned.

** I've been getting quite a few comments about who Bella should end up with, so I created a poll so I could gauge everyone's thoughts on the matter...especially you lovely silent readers out there. It's your chance to be heard. Just check out my profile and vote, please. **

Chapter 1 Outed

My cell vibrated in my pocket and I fished it out with fumbling fingers, the shimmery vampire still fresh in my thoughts. "Hello," I croaked.

"Bella?" Edward's velvety voice shivered down me.

I couldn't suppress the shock in my voice. "Yeah?"

"I just wanted to make sure you got back safely. And…"

I interrupted. Relief that he cared enough to call blanked out the mess playing out on live television momentarily. "I'm so glad you called." I was practically gushing. "I was afraid…"

"Afraid of what?"

"That I'd never hear your voice again," I murmured honestly.

"Bella, I told you it was temporary. Like I could stay away…" He said almost angrily.

He sounded so broken. I knew he hadn't called to make up, just to check on me because his protective nature would let him do no less. So, I gave him a way out. I changed the subject. "Have you been watching the TV?" That this had taken place in the states and we were already seeing it here in Italy just showed you how much news it was.

"No, why?"

"Well, you better turn it on. The race of vampires has just gone public."

Aro looked ill as he leaned heavily against the far wall, eyes still locked on the TV screen. No one had moved or spoken in the last few minutes. All that could be heard was the newswoman's continued commentary.

"Already witnesses are coming forward claiming that the attacker is David Berry. We are awaiting confirmation from his family. David has been presumed dead for the last six months when he failed to return from a camping trip."

Behind the attractive reporter the footage of the vampire clutching the bride, his body shimmering in the full light of the sun, continued on an endless news loop. Her words were meaningless as I viewed the video, just a soft buzzing in my ears while I considered the ramifications of our existence becoming public.

"So far there are four confirmed dead including the groom, Troy Michaels. Witnesses have woven a disturbing tale claiming that the attacker is not human. We have on scene, Sheila Akron. Sheila?"

"Thank you, Beth. I am speaking with the bride's father, Mr. Morgan."

Sheila shoved her microphone into the distraught man's face and questioned, "Tell us, Mr. Morgan, what exactly happened this afternoon?"

"The ceremony was nearly over…" He stuttered as he wiped a shaky hand across his face, drying the tears that still clung to his cheeks and eyelashes. "They were exchanging their rings when this…this white blur flashed across the room…" His voice faltered, his eyes widened as he relived the moment of terror.

"And then what?" Sheila asked in a breathy voice, completely engrossed in his tale.

"It ripped my son-in-law's heart out of his che…chest." He began openly sobbing again, but that did not dissuade Sheila from getting her story. She handed him a napkin and prompted him to continue.

"That thing, it threw his heart to the floor, but even before it landed he had my Rachael and he…he…bit her neck, like he was feeding from her and her bl…blood was everywhere. Her dress soaked with it."

"Then what, Mr. Morgan?"

"He growled and pulled away, then snatched her up and leaped all the way across the church. It, that monster, took my baby…killed my little girl."

"You continue to refer to the attacker as it. What exactly was it, Mr. Morgan?"

"I don't know…don't know." He shook his head in disbelief. "It looked like her ex-boyfriend David. But it can't be David. I've known him for eight years and he is…was… not capable of such a thing. This monster, it drank her blood…moved fast…terribly strong…But it's daylight, it can't be…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"Can't be what?"

"A vampire, can it?"

Ah. And there it was. The one word we'd all been holding our breath and hoping against all hope wouldn't be uttered-vampire. Just like that, our secret had gone global. How on earth were we supposed clean up this mess?

His words left our room as silent as a grave. There was no sense of life here as we tried to wrap our minds around our latest challenge. I finally forced my hand to release the phone I'd still been clutching and set it gently on the nearest table. That one small movement brought life back into the room in a rush and set the rest of the vampires into action, their frantic voices carrying nervously through the room.

Aro's eyes met mine. The panic on his face was so clear. That freaked me out more than anything else. Here stood a being that'd walked the earth for more than three millenia and he was scared. That did nothing to bolster me.

I went to his side completely ignoring everyone else. There was only one vampire I wanted to see right now-to be comforted by- and he was not here, so I ignored the rest and focused on Aro.

His translucent hand trembled as he grasped mine. "Dear God, Isabella, what…" His eyes kept frantically darting everywhere. "How does one even begin to rectify this, to contain it?"

I wished I could say I had some grand idea, but at the moment all that was in my head was the image of the sparkling vampire and the words of Mr. Morgan's as he unknowingly outed our race. I bit my lip hard as I searched for the words that would ease his fears. "They'll never catch him, Aro," I declared calmly, though calm was far from what I was feeling at the moment. "There will never be a body to examine, no proof. So he sparkled, so what?" I asked, my tone unconcerned. "There are tons of mythical creatures we can blame it on. That footage does not prove that it was a vampire, not a vampire that humans would recognize anyways. When they think about vampires all they see is Dracula, and we are quite different from that image." Even as I spoke the words with such conviction, I did not believe them. "What we need to do now is lay low for a while until this madness dies down."

We stared intently at each other. He was silent as he mulled over my words and my forced calm. I watched the man I knew return. His terror vanished and he straightened to his full height, to his normal arrogant and regal posture, and patted my hand reassuringly. "Precisely. We will issue a mandate that there are to be no new vampires created and no feeding on humans." He sighed heavily. "We will all have to exist on the blood of animals for the time being as we cannot have any more human deaths for the authorities to investigate." He led me out of the chaotic room where the other vampires were still talking over one another. Away from the live news report that was now showing paramedics on the scene who had just confirmed that three of the victims had had their "throats torn out savagely."

Savagely? "As if there was any other way to have ones throat torn out," I muttered to myself as I closed the door.

With our goblets of blood in hand, we sat opposite each other in Aro's private chamber. It was a very masculine room. There were fur rugs so plush that you could barely see your feet when you walked across them. Several black leather couches with sharp lines, and black lacquered tables took up most of the floor space. On his walls were black and white photographs that depicted different cityscapes.

"While everyone else was gripped with fear, you were already crafting a plan to save us, to protect our species. Do you have any idea how very proud I am of you, Isabella? I am so lucky that you are now a part of my Volturi." He took a sip of blood before leaning forward. "I want you to lead the team to North Carolina and clean up this mess," he declared with an expression that suggested he was giving me some priceless gift.

"Me?" I spluttered and the mouthful of blood I'd just taken spattered everywhere. I was horrified as he drew a handkerchief from his pocket with a flourish and wiped his amused face clean before offering it to me. I guess when one's face is splattered with blood, one does not bother being gentlemanly. I set my goblet down with shaky hands and cleaned up my mess.

"Yes you, Isabella. You may choose those who accompany you." I had always hated being called Isabella and I wasn't liking it any better now. I had no idea why he'd taken to calling me that lately. I really hoped it wouldn't last.

"Any suggestions for what it is I'm supposed to do once I get there?" I asked, my tone dripping with irritation and a little bit of anger. I didn't want to be the one that had to deal with everything again. A small smile began to tug at my lips despite my sour mood. When I'd been human all I'd wanted was the strength to take care of myself and those I loved, to not be a liability. Well, I definitely was not a liability any more and I certainly had more than my fair share of power. The phrase be careful what you wish for came to mind. I'd gotten everything I'd wanted and then some and was irked because people now depended on me to save the day.

"Ah, Isabella," he chuckled. "You are clever and powerful. I have no doubt that you will discover a suitable solution to our quandary."

"You have too much faith in me! I have no clue how to go about covering this up."

"Now, now, my dear Bella. Stop your fretting. You will perform this as flawlessly as any other task. Now, select your team. I should think that it would be prudent to keep the number small. Five or so, yes?" I nodded still in a daze and he took my silence for acceptance and continued, "I will also dispatch several other teams to enforce our new mandates. Those who refuse to adhere to our temporary laws…well, better that we destroy the lesser, more problematic vampires, than to risk further exposure I dare say."

Okies, please review. I'd love to get 10 comments before my next post. They encourages me to write faster and update more often, plus, I really like hearing frrom all of you.

Thanks

Sabrina