Chapter Two: BELLA

"Good...you are doing good, Isabelle. Just like that, focus."

I clenched my jaw, focusing on Felix's words. My muscles felt strained, and I felt exhausted, but it felt good.

Minutes after, I released a breath, my shield dropping. Felix slowly clapped for me, walking up towards me with a proud smile.

"Excellent, Isabelle. You have improved much since you've first come to see me. You've gone from being to hold up your shield less than 5 minutes to now over an hour. God forbid any fight last longer than that, though." He laughed at the end, causing me to grin as well.

It's been almost 3 months since I've started training with Felix. I see him every day for training to make up for what I've missed when I was holed away in my room. I think he has taken an interest to me as a prodigy as he will do private sessions with me along with group session.

I nodded, feeling almost lightheaded from the training. He looked at me and caught the fatigue right away. Felix walked away, grabbing something within the fridge before coming back and tossing it at me.

I caught it and saw that it was a blood bag. I smiled gratefully at him, tearing into the bag and drinking it aggressively to help me recover.

"I'm not sure why you don't just drink the real thing," Felix commented offhandedly, watching me drink the bag.

I finished the bag pretty quickly, licked my lips and throwing the bag away.

I shrugged in response, "I'm just...not interested in having that experience. This is enough for me."

Since coming to the Volturi, I had struggled with my diet a lot. Jane didn't force me to conform to their diet and had even taken me to a hunting area for animals.

It was more difficult to feed to on animals in Italy, I found. I noticed that I had to feed a lot more than what Jane did. It was just me, and I felt like I was depleting their animal source here. It was hurting the environment because I couldn't just eat small animals and the humans were noticing a large number of missing animals.

I was causing problems, but I couldn't feed in humans. Ever since the first time I tried, I could feel venom rise in my throat in disgust.

I had tried to feed less, but I was really just starving myself. It was apparent to Jane the frenzy I was in, trying to drink less blood.

And then there was a day she had enough.

"Isabella, you are driving yourself insane, trying to control your diet like this!" Jane snapped at me when I argued with her once more about how I can't drink anymore, or I would wreck the nearby environment, and the humans were noticing their food supply dying.

I couldn't even reply with the hunger gnawing in the back of my throat. Jane had initially tried to drag to feed on a human she brought in, but when I refused, breaking my own fingers and focus on my own pain than feed on the human, Jane quickly gave up on the idea.

She had left in my room, and she was gone for an hour before she returned again. This time, a blood bag in hand.

I watched her through my blurry vision. I could smell it through the bag with how the thirst burned.

I could instantly tell it was human blood. I growled involuntarily and forced my head to turn away.

"Stop," I told Jane, but she pressed on.

"Drink it, Isabella," Jane said, a little forcefully.

"I told you, I will not drink human blood," I told her in return, clenching my eyes shut.

Jane made a move to grab my arm and turn me around, backing me until I fell backward onto my bed and her on top of me.

"Isabella, please," she finally pleaded. "You are ruining yourself like this. You will not feed what you need from animals, and you will not feed directly from humans. This is the best compromise I could find."

I tried to struggle, but, in my hunger, I was too weak. I could barely move, let alone push a vampire who was older and more experienced than me. I finally looked at the blood bag in her hand.

"Where did you get it?" I asked. I thought about the human she had brought me into the foyer. The last thing I needed was to find out Jane killed the human and just bagged his blood for me to drink, so I didn't have to do it myself.

Jane sighed. "I went to the hospital with Chelsea. I have negotiated them to send us blood bag supplies that will not use or are soon to be expired. This is human blood, willing given by the person. It doesn't kill them or change them. So, per favore, Isabella, drink it."

The logic made insane sense to me. I could feed less this way and not hurt anyone.

Jane could tell that I had stopped resisting, but too weak to move on my own. She sighed in relief, letting off me and pulled me to sit up. Tearing the blood bag open in the corner, she gently put the bag against my lip and tipped it upwards.

The moment the blood hit my lips; my hands went up to grip the bag, drinking from it greedily. Jane had another bag prepared for me when I quickly finished the first.

The second bag was going as quickly as the first, but I feel clarity returning to me, the burning thirst going away.

When I finished, I sighed, looking at Jane, who was looking at me with an amused expression with her eyebrow raised. She reached over and used her thumb to gently wipe the blood that had escaped my mouth and dripped down my throat.

Her eyes darkened slightly as she looked into my eyes.

Taking her thumb, she put it against her lips and licked it clean.

My stomach tightened again, and I felt an unfamiliar heat flare up.

"Very good, Isabella," she said, staring at me a moment longer before turned around and left.

"Alright, you are filled up, let's get to the next part of the training. Show me you've been practicing your fighting."

Felix's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I watched him get into stance and then mirroring him the same with a small smirk.

I was going to kick his ass today.

I did not kick his ass today, but I was holding my own way better each day. I feel like Felix enjoyed our spar sessions. It was definitely new to him.

Jane was currently busy handling some errands for Aro, but we were supposed to meet up later, and she was to introduce me to Alec.

I wasn't too sure what I was going to do. I really need to figure that out because I couldn't just spend my entire day with Felix training when I had nothing to do because Jane wasn't around. I would spend time with Demetri, but I actually haven't seen him since I've come here. Jane says he's on a long mission.

I wandered the halls once more, but this time was opting to leave the castle walls through the back. As being on the Volturi property, I didn't have to worry about being seen in the sun. I've only gone through this path once, so I wasn't too familiar with it. As I got deeper, I noticed more plants and trees. I turned the corner and nearly jumped, seeing Marcus there.

I have barely seen The Three Kings since my stay, but out of all of them, I've seen Marcus the least.

He turned his head barely to glance at me.

"Oh," I stammered. "I'm sorry...I didn't know..."

Marcus put his hand up slightly to signal that it was fine. He didn't say anything else, but I looked around and realized that I was in his garden Jane told me about.

"It is alright, Isabella," Marcus said, resuming his watering. "Come, sit. I hear you have started to join the outside world."

I chuckled, albeit kind of awkwardly. Jesus, clearly everyone noticed I was being a moping teenager. I started to wonder if I was always this dramatic, or was this the newborn phase.

"Are you planting gardenias? I love gardenias." I softly said to him.

Marcus let out a dry rasp chuckle, "You are an interesting one, Isabella."

"Because I love gardenias?" I said ineloquently.

Marcus just gave a small smile. "You remind me of her."

I briefly remembered Jane telling me that Marcus did have a mate, but she was killed long ago. What was her name again?

Didyme.

"Didyme loved gardenias; they matched her eyes."

I wasn't really sure what to say as I didn't know how to comfort Marcus and I knew nothing of this woman.

"She had a way of making everyone around her happier, could make them love her without her powers."

You only offer him a small smile as she cuts one of the gardenias out to give to you.

"She sounds lovely," I tell him sincerely. Marcus gave me a half-turned smile in return.

"We are alike, you and I," Marcus tells me as he turns back to tending to his garden.

"Us?" I asked confusedly, trying to make any sort of connections from me to his old vampire.

He chuckled dryly, "You may not know it like me, but you know loss."

There was a harsh pang in my chest as I understood what he was saying.

"It's like a hole," Marcus muses. "When you meet someone that just fits you in every way possible, it's like a hole that can never be filled."

He turns to me, sympathy in his eyes. "Isabella, I'm going to be honest with you. This is the only advice I can offer you as someone in a similar situation to me. You understand my gift is to see relationships between humans or vampires, correct?"

I nod cautiously.

"Your string is still tied to Alice," Marcus tells me. My breath hitches because if Alice were done with me, the line would've been cut.

"That being said, being with her will cause you immense pain. You will constantly encounter hardships and trials to be together."

I blinked at Marcus told me this. It doesn't sound too promising to be with Alice.

"But you will never be able to love anyone the way you love Alice. You will never experience the heart wrenching, butterfly consuming, fireworks, the desperation and love that brings you to your knees with anyone else. So, if you're trying to look for that again, stop."

It seriously felt like someone had punched me in the gut, my eyes watering with venom as he told me this. God, it sounded fucking hopeless.

Marcus sighed, placing his hand on my shoulder, causing me to look up at him.

"But it is not all lost. Sometimes that is not the love you may wish to pursue again. There's someone else. To be with them can bring you happiness, security, a warmth. It would be safe."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as Marcus told me this. Why was he saying it like I already had someone in my life like that?

"What?" I asked dumbly. "Are you saying I have someone like that already?"

Marcus nodded, "Yes, I'm surprised you haven't noticed. You gravitate towards her, just as she to you."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. It dawned on me so fast that I felt like my world was turning again.

"Are you..." I choked. "Are you saying Jane is a possibility?"

He nodded once.

I put my hand to my forehead, eyes wide, my mind just swirling.

Jane?

I could have a happy future with...Jane?

My thoughts were going a mile a minute.

Did I even see Jane like that?

My mind immediately said yes.

But...

"Jane doesn't see me like that," I said to Marcus, a finality to my tone.

He merely cocked his eyebrow at me. He was about to say something else when I felt another presence in the garden. I looked over to see Jane standing there, looking thoroughly unhappy.

"Isabella," she called to me. "The Cullens have arrived earlier than they had announced. They're in the foyer, this time adamant about seeing you as they're quite sure you're here."

I sighed, dread rising in my heart as I got up. As the Cullens were here, Marcus would also need to be there for them to greet him.

As we approached Jane, she let me pass her, and she walked by Marcus.

"Do not say anything unnecessary," I heard Jane say to him, to which he merely huffed and shuffled on.

I was getting more anxious as we approached the throne room, but Jane walked beside me, her finger barely grazing my own.

I felt myself flush from my earlier conversation with Marcus but willed myself not to move my hand.

We stood in front of the big doors with Marcus in front of us. He kindly stayed in the same spot for a moment so I could take a deep breath. I could already hear Carlisle's voice on the other side of the door.

Marcus peered at me subtly, and once I nodded my head, he pushed the doors open. I didn't immediately see him as Marcus' large frame shielded me.

"Marcus," I could Carlisle's voice as he greeted him. "It has been a while old friend."

Marcus raised his brow at the blond man. "Hardly, Carlisle. You were here a few months ago."

Carlisle merely chuckled, albeit a little awkwardly. "Yes, I suppose you are right. We have reason to believe that Bella is really here at the Volturi."

Marcus didn't say anything, didn't even move. I closed my eyes, clenching my fist together as before unclenching them, and stepped around Marcus to reveal myself.

There were several gasps, but the first thing I noticed was that the family was smaller. It was only Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett.

"Oh, Bella," Esme said, looking so relieved to see me and rushing in to hug me. I put my arms around her, rubbing her back to comfort her. When she let go, I was immediately crushed into another hug. The scent let me know that it was Rosalie who was hugging me.

"You fucking idiot," she said, but I knew that she was merely relieved to see me. Of course, Emmett grabbed me and spun me around a couple of times.

When they put me down, Carlisle scrunched his eyes as he saw mine.

"Are you on the...human diet?" He asked. I felt myself recoil slightly at his tone, and Jane immediately came to my defense.

"It would be none of your business, Carlisle. She is under the Volturi's house; she is free to drink whatever she wishes." Jane glared at him, which caused Rosalie to glare at Jane.

Before anything could escalate further, Aro clapped his hands.

"Jane, dear, don't antagonize our guests. Carlisle, Bella is drinking from a blood bag donated by the hospitals here. Jane had set it up for her as Bella was running into issues with the animal population here and refused to drink from a human directly." He grinned so wide that I had to resist cringing as it was so creepy.

"Well," Aro's smooth voice said again. "I see you all have a lot of catching up to do. We will leave you to it. Carlisle, come see me in my study before you leave."

The blond leader nodded once before we all left the room. I walked them to the room I was staying in, letting them all in before I walked in.

Jane was about to leave to give us privacy, but I grabbed her arm with a desperation look in my eyes.

"Stay," I told her quietly. I couldn't do this without her. Jane sighed but nodded, walking into the room and standing in the corner.

Rosalie looked like she wanted to say something, but they had all heard me ask Jane to stay.

"How are you, dear?" Esme asked to break the tension.

I shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

"What the hell happened, Bella? You disappear for months after leaving that voicemail? We were so fucking worried, you asshole." Rosalie said, cutting to the chase. I wince at her tone, which caused Jane to glare at Rosalie, but she didn't say anything.

I sighed, taking a seat on my bed as I faced everyone.

"She came that night to change me. She told me to chose me, that she wanted to be together," I started, still unable to say her name.

"But she was gone when I woke up. She left me a shitty note saying she was sorry and ran off, abandoning me." I could feel the anger and betrayal rising in me as I spoke about it.

"You don't have any idea where she is?" Carlisle asked, his voice soft.

I glared at the wall beside me. "No, I don't, and I don't want to. Shouldn't you know?"

Carlisle sighed, rubbing his fingers over his eyes. "No, we haven't been able to get a hold of her since that night. We can't get in touch with Jasper either."

"Great, I'm sure they're just on a prolonged honeymoon," I sneered.

Esme gave me a sad smile, and I had to look at Jane to take a deep breath and relax.

"Come home with us, Bella," Esme pleaded me, taking a seat next to me with her hand on my arm. "Whatever it is, we can figure it out together as a family."

This was what I had dreaded the most, that they would ask me to return. I looked over at Jane, who was silently asking if I wanted her to interfere. I seriously thought about it, but I decided against it knowing that it would only make Jane look like the villain keeping me here. Not that she cared.

I sighed, standing up and running my hand through my hair. I turned around to them all and shook my head.

"I'm not ready to return. To be honest, I don't know if I will ever be."

Rosalie frowned. "Why not? I know Alice fucked up, but we're your family too. Do we not mean shit to you?"

I could hear the hurt underlying in Rosalie's tone, and it did break my heart, knowing I was hurting her. I went up to her and kneeled before her as she was sitting down in a chair. I grabbed her hands tightly, getting her to look at me, desperate for her to understand.

"You mean so much to me, but it still hurts, Rose. I never thought someone could single-handedly build me up and destroy me." It felt like my throat was raw as I opened myself up to everyone in the room.

"I need space from everything that reminds me of her. I just...need time, to figure out who I am, without her. Do you understand?" I asked her, a hint of desperation and hopelessness in my tone.

Rosalie looked at me, pain in her eyes as she looked into mine and nodded tersely. Emmett put his hand on his wife's shoulder to comfort her.

"Hey, if anything, we all got a shitload of time now, so no problem there, Bella bear."

I couldn't help but chuckle at him, and he gave me a giant boyish grin.

With minimal catching up, I did promise them that I would get a phone so I could call and text them at least. They gave me their numbers so I could keep in touch with them once I did get a cell. They began to leave, Carlisle heading to Aro's study as he promised.

Rosalie was the last to leave my room. She pulled me into another tight hug, cupping the back of my neck. "Figure things out quickly, okay? I miss you. I will seriously fucking strangle her if I see her."

I softly chuckled and nodded as we let go. She kissed my cheek lightly and sighed once more before leaving out with Emmett who gave me a firm hug.

Once everyone was gone, I went back into the room where Jane was and fell back onto the bed.

"How is it possible to feel exhausted?" I mumbled. Jane gave me an amused smirk.

"It's all mental, Isabella," she told me quietly. She regarded me for a few moments before she spoke again. "I am proud of you, Isabella. You faced a difficult situation and handled it well."

I smiled with my eyes closed, basking in Jane's praise.

My mind wandered to back in the gardens with Marcus, the conversation floating through my mind. I made the split decision to reach out and grab Jane's hand, softly lacing my fingers with hers. She didn't react at first, but slowly after a moment, she held my hand tighter.

There was a warmth.

There were no butterflies.

There were no fireworks.

But there was warmth.

And maybe one day that would be enough.

Next time: Alice's POV from the end of JTLH

Replies:

a nargle: Yes, I definitely will!

Guest: Dominant Bella will make a return at some point!

Storm0fCrows: Updates once every two weeks. Thanks for reading!

T. : Will not be poly!

Bellice4evayespl: Main characters will be an Original Female Character!Vampire, Steve, Natasha, Wanda. Endgame Femslash ship!

Thanks again to everyone who is reading this! The comments made me so happy to read. Hope ya'll are excited to see Alice's POV. Leave a comment or favourite, or whatever! See you in two weeks :)

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