Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I do own a ridiculous amount of tennis shoes though! (cough… 13 pairs… cough)
Thank you for your awesome review on my last chapter!
A few little shout-outs to those anonymous reviewers out there:
--(): Thank you so much for that stellar review! That really rocked my day! I feel bad that I can't directly reply to you through your review since it was anonymous but I thank you for reviewing! I am happy that this story isn't one of those "repetitive plots" like you mentioned, I really didn't want this to fall into that category! Thanks Hunny! I hope to hear from you more!
-- I am glad that most of you seem to like the idea of a little bit of Edward's POV in this story, I think I will throw some of him in here for entertainment later on in the story… or next chapter.
--____________________________________________________________--
I love hearing from all of you guys out there!! I will try my best to reply to your reviews—all of them!—but if I don't respond to one of your reviews, I am very sorry! Don't shoot!
Any questions?? Send me a message, review, or email. I will be most likely to reply to the email since they get delivered directly to my cell phone. =D
Anyways, here is more of what you really want! Chapter THREE. This will be the last chapter leading up to the main plot, so just bear with me through this!
Chapter Three
BPOV
I was really excited for today. I wanted everything to be perfect; flawless. I couldn't afford to mess up again. I really liked giving the tours and playing hostess for a few hours and if I messed up or there was another mishap, I might get permanently removed from guide duty.
Heidi and I had kicked it into over-drive trying to make myself look presentable. Normally, I would have been wandering around the castle in my black and blue uniform robe but we weren't allowed to wear them to greet guests. Something about trying to remain unnoticed and a black flowing robe was not exactly inconspicuous.
After a few hours of digging through every bag of clothing Heidi and I had ever bought, looking for something that said "Hi I am Bella, and if you try to take a snap at my ass, I will kick yours," we came across something that fit the bill perfectly.
I was now standing in front of the three floor-to-ceiling length mirrors in Heidi's enormous closet, examining myself.
And my reflection wasn't too shabby.
"Alright Bella," Heidi said, coming up behind me with a box of shoes. "I went out and bought these for you while you were sleeping this morning. I had to pull a few strings and call in a few favors for them but it was worth it. You will look drop-dead gorgeous in these bitches. Not only that, but your legs will look like they go on for miles sweetie." She smiled, gently setting the box in my waiting arms.
"Now don't panic about the cost or what-not, remember, this is an extra special occasion that requires extra special shoes. Okay?" Heidi asked while I just nodded my head in agreement. This must be one hell of a pair of shoes.
"Well, what are you waiting for B? Open them!" Heidi giggled and started bouncing… again.
"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a knot." I smiled before settling myself into a corner armchair so that I could set the box in my lap to open it.
I took a deep breath and slowly lifted the top off of the large rectangular box, the smell of leather hitting my nose. When I looked down, I was blown away. The shoes were absolutely gorgeous and would match everything perfectly! Sitting in the box was a pair of burgundy leather, closed-toe, heels. It had a four inch heel but the zipper on the side would hopefully keep them in place without too much difficulty. I pulled them both out of the box and grabbed the tissue paper out of the toes of the heels. I slid them both on carefully, trying my best to keep them scuff free for as long as possible. Heidi zipped them both up for me. She stood and offered her hands to me and pulling me off the arm-chair and over towards the mirror.
Once I was standing in front of the mirrors, Heidi pulled away, clapping happily at her marvelous choice of shoes. And I had to admit, she had excellent taste.
I was wearing a long-sleeved burgundy shirt that was formfitting with buttons up the front. Only the bottom three buttons were buttoned, the top of the shirt hung open exposing my black lacy camisole. I was wearing a dark denim skirt that came to mid-thigh and hugged my arse quite nicely, accentuating its curve. The skirt was held up by a black silk scarf tied haphazardly around my waist. And then there was the shoes… oh God, those shoes!
Heidi had also decided that my hair and make up needed to be done in order to coordinate with my clothes. She had run out to Lord and Taylor while she was picking up my shoes so that she could buy burgundy and black make up and hair accessories. I had sat there for an hour while she attacked my head.
The end result? It was gorgeous—I hardly even recognized myself. These vampire women could work wonders on hair and make up! My eyes had a thin line of burgundy on my lower lid with a lot of mascara and black eye-shadow on my upper lid. My cheeks were dusted with a slightly sparkling bronzer brush. Apparently I didn't need any blush; I could cover that aspect of my face on my own without any help. My lips were left their natural color with only a little clear gloss. And my hair! It was pulled back on the top in a black clip, the rest of it falling in soft waves past my shoulders. And to add to the burgundy theme, Heidi had taken some form of temporary hair dye and strategically placed burgundy streaks all throughout my hair, making it look… well… sexy.
With a long black necklace and bangles, I was finished.
"Heidi!" I squealed, throwing my arms around her neck. "You are amazing!"
Heidi just chuckled, hugging me back. "Love ya too B."
I pulled my phone out of my black tote bag and checked the time. Four past ten in the morning. I had to leave in less than ten minutes and I still had to go see Aro one last time.
"Alright," I began, throwing my bag over my shoulder. "I have got to go see Aro and then leave, so I guess I will see you in a few hours."
"Good luck cutie!" Heidi giggled pecking me on the cheek and promptly pushing me out of the door with a smack to my ass.
I had to laugh at Heidi's antics as I made my way towards the main room to find out where Aro was. When I walked into the greeting hall, Gianna waved me over. "Hey Bella, Aro is in his office waiting for you." She smiled.
"Thanks." I told her as I turned towards Aro's office.
She called after me, "Good Luck!"
I smiled over my shoulder before knocking on the doors. I only had to wait a second before o heard Aro call me in. I pushed the heavy door open with a little effort and walked in. Aro was sitting behind his large wooden desk, Felix and Demitri sitting in the chairs opposite of him. When I walked in, both Felix and Demitri's heads snapped towards me, blatantly ogling my ensemble. They jumped up, offering me their chairs but I declined. I was only staying for a second but I was touched that they had even offered. Felix always treated me like a little sister, but Demitri usually kept his distance from me. Heidi must have made me look really good even to vampire eyes!
"Okay, Aro, I am going to leave but I promised I would drop by first so I kept my promise. Anything else I need to know before heading out?" I asked, fidgeting with the scarf-belt.
"Let's see," Aro paused as he looked at his computer monitor. "Their flight is early, so I suggest that you drive their separately in your car so that you can get there before the limo and not keep them waiting. I will have Felix drive the limo there for you and he can drive your car back if you would like."
I nodded my head, smiling as I saw Felix playfully wink at me from the corner of my eye.
"If that is everything, I will be leaving now." I said to Aro. He smiled at me, his red eyes sparkling brightly. He stood up, grabbing a marker board and an Expo marker from beside his desk and handed it to me.
"They will be expecting a sign saying 'Dr. Fang and Friends' okay?" He laughed as I chuckled too.
This should get a laugh out of our visitors, I thought as I excused myself from the office.
"Hey, Gianna, I need the keys to my car." I requested as the beautiful brunette dug around one of the drawers for my keys.
"The McLaren or the Carving Concept?" she asked as she dangled both keys in front of my face.
"Umm… the McLaren I guess. I don't need to be driving a convertible in the rain." I told her grabbing the keys.
"Here you go, have fun! I know you haven't driven that thing in a while!" She smiled.
She was right. It had been at least a month since I last got dive my beautiful car. Normally I would have thrown a fit over the ostentatious car but this car was just too beautiful of a gift to turn down. It was everything I ever could want in a car. I walked into the enormous hanger full of cars and immediately spotted mine.
It was a welcome to Volterra present from Aro, Marcus, and Caius. And it was by far the best gift I had ever received.
The car was the rare Mansory Renovatio Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. It had a gold paint job and it positively sparkled—almost as much as a vampire in sunlight!
The sleek body of the car, laid low to the ground so that I could drive fast while maintaining stability and balance. The car was built for speed and it was mine.
I ran my hand appreciatively across the buffed hood, admiring the fact that I could literally see everything in it as thought it was a gold tinted mirror. I slid into the driver's seat inhaling the scent of leather and vanilla from the air freshener tucked safely under my seat. I slipped the key into the ignition and listened to the gentle purr of the engine and I woke it from its sleep. Gently pressing my foot to the gas, the car glided forwards with the gracefulness of a jungle cat on the prowl, it also had the same predatory look to it. No one would expect little old Bella Swan of Forks Washington to be navigating this beast of a car.
I pulled out into Volterra, happy to find minimal traffic, and sped off towards the airport. I had a good forty five minute drive ahead of me, so I plugged my iPod Touch in as I sped down the highway. I hit shuffle and P!ink's "Who Knew" came blasting through the speakers.
You took my hand
You showed me how
You promised me you'd be around
Uh huh
That's right
I took your words
And I believed
In everything
You said to me
Yeah huh
That's right
If someone said three years from now
You'd be long gone
I'd stand up and punch them out
Cause they're all wrong
I know better
Cause you said forever
And ever
Who knew
I audibly sighed as I felt myself getting dragged down by the lyrics to this song. I wonder if P!nk knew just how right she was when she was singing this? It was an amazingly accurate version of my view of my relationship with him. I could have sworn that we were going to be together forever. I had prayed every night, as I lay in his arms, that Alice's vision of me becoming one of the Cullen's would miraculously come true.
Remember when we were such fools
And so convinced and just too cool
Oh no
No no
I wish I could touch you again
I wish I could still call you friend
I'd give anything
When someone said count your blessings now
'fore they're long gone
I guess I just didn't know how
I was all wrong
They knew better
Still you said forever
And ever
Who knew
Yeah yeah
I'll keep you locked in my head
Until we meet again
Until we
Until we meet again
And I won't forget you my friend
What happened
I had to remind myself that this was just a song, I was getting chocked up thinking about the Cullens and how much I missed them. I had to take a few deep breaths before I started crying and ruining the make up that Heidi had worked so hard on.
If someone said three years from now
You'd be long gone
I'd stand up and punch them out
Cause they're all wrong and
That last kiss
I'll cherish
Until we meet again
And time makes
It harder
I wish I could remember
But I keep
Your memory
You visit me in my sleep
My darling
Who knew
I when the song ended, I almost hit the back button so that I could listen to it again, but I didn't want to risk crying. So I let it continue to the next song. I sang along with the other songs at the top of my lungs, trying to forget about my near melt-down.
I had gone through O.A.R., Katy Perry, Duffy, Rhianna, and I had just started on my George Michael and Wham! collection when I arrived at the airport. I glanced at the clock, determining that I had about fifteen minutes before the plane landed, I spent some extra time trying to find a decent parking place.
Once I was parked, and certain that the car next to me would not ding my finish, I grabbed my purse and the marker board, heading into the airport to figure out which terminal I would be venturing to in order to receive the guests.
I studied the flight board and saw that the plane was just touching down on the air strip and would be unloading within the next few minutes. I sat down on a chair near the baggage claim and pulled out my phone, deciding to entertain my boredom with a quick round of Brick Breaker (A/N: Awesome game! Though I do prefer Pong to it. That statement definitely dates me.)
When I saw people start to trickle out of security and head towards the baggage carousel, I stood up, grabbed the marker board and wrote "Dr. Fang and Friends" in bold purple letters across the white surface and held it in front of my chest as I turned my attention back to my game of Brick Breaker until they arrived.
I was so absorbed in my game that I didn't notice the group of seven gorgeous people walk up to me.
"Ahem," Someone cleared their throat, getting my attention.
I looked up into the eyes of my guests and gasped sharply, the marker board and my phone dropped to the floor, sliding under the chairs in the terminal.
"Shit." I mumbled.
EPOV
Carlisle was sitting across from me in the first class section of the plane we were in. Esme was sitting next to him. I looked around at the rest of my family, realizing that there was a pattern here that I wasn't a part of.
Alice and Jasper sat together. Rosalie and Emmett sat together… and me? Well, I sat pretty much by myself, with the exception of the repulsive smelling human snoring unabashedly to my left.
No human smelled good anymore. They all smelled the same as that revolting human food that they were passing out on the plane. One of these pathetic humans could slit their throat, spilling all their blood, right in front of me and I wouldn't flinch or even be remotely tempted to taste their blood.
My senses had been spoiled.
I had been with Bella for so long, smelling her for so long, that I had grown amazingly desensitized to the draw of her blood but the scent had still been there. The only difference was that it wasn't like I had wanted to pounce her and drain her blood but more like taking a whiff of a fragrant flower. It was beautiful smelling my not appealing to the taste buds.
Bella…
I sighed audibly, running a hand through my hair. God, I missed her. I had stayed away for five years, but my control was slowly slipping. At some times I would find myself looking at plane tickets to Port Angeles, considering buying them, but stopping myself at the last second.
Edward, Carlisle's thoughts called to me. You miss her terribly, don't keep torturing yourself like this. You need to go back and see her, even if it is only to check and make sure that she is as happy as you claim she is without you.
I knew he was right but I also knew that if I got close enough to see her, or even smell her, I would not leave. It was taking all of my control to stay away now but I was able to do it because I couldn't see the temptation. If she was anywhere near me though… I would surely lose it.
I shook my head at Carlisle, letting him know that I had no intention of going back. His thoughts were frustrated with me and worried about me but he let the topic drop, and turned his attention to Esme.
A second later Alice gasped from the row behind me, but before I could read her thoughts and figure out the reason for the gasp, she had effectively blocked me by recalling every single boutique in Paris by alphabetical order and then what exactly she had bought in each shop.
"Alice," I hissed, too low for the humans to hear. "What did you see?"
All members of my family were now looking intently at Alice who had an evil little smirk on her face as she looked over everyone before settling her eyes on me.
"This is going to be one hell of a visit." She commented before adverting her gaze out of the slightly fogged window, obviously not revealing any more about her latest vision.
When we had received an invitation from Aro to come and visit him in Italy, Carlisle thought that it wouldn't be smart to turn him down, so here we were, on a plane during Thanksgiving break at school, on our way to Volterra.
Alice had been keeping tabs on Aro since we got the invitation to see if he had some type of hidden agenda but she had found nothing suspicious. We were still taking every precaution that might be necessary.
Aro apparently expected us to stay at the castle with him, too, which was highly suspicious but we wouldn't know what he was up to until we got there and I could read his thoughts. I doubted that he had any clue as to the powers that my family possessed and we weren't willingly going to let him know what they were either.
The plane had started its decent and I looked out at the beautiful country of Italy. I had been here only once before but it had been on much happier terms.
Our family stayed seated until everyone had disembarked before we exited the plane. We casually made our way to the baggage claim to grab our luggage.
Once everyone had gathered their bags, Carlisle turned towards me.
"Okay Edward, there should be someone waiting for us holding a sign that says 'Dr. Fang and Friends' on it." I raised my eyebrow at him while Jasper and Emmett snickered beside me. "I guess it is Aro's attempt at being funny." He rolled his eyes.
"Anyways, they said they were sending a human so that it would be more inconspicuous. Could you do a quick mind sweep so that we don't have to do this the hard way?" I just nodded and began surfing through the brains of the people in the terminal.
There were hundreds of thoughts bombarding my head but none of them were thinking about us or anything remotely related to it.
I searched for one more minute to ascertain that I wasn't really missing anything before giving up.
"Sorry but none is thinking about it. I guess we search on foot from here." I informed them. Jasper grumbled something about my mind being broken as we set off to find our chauffer.
I had my head down, starting intently at the patterns on the floor when Emmett stopped abruptly in front of me. If I hadn't of read his thoughts a second before, I would have crashed into him.
I heard him let out a long string of profanities as the rest of our family came up beside him to figure out what was up. I was still staring at Emmett confused when I heard a gasp from Esme and Rosalie and a giggle from Alice. I looked at them to see them looking straight ahead where Emmett's eyes were trained at.
I looked up wondering what this was about when it hit me. Someone opened a door sending a gust of cool air at my face. The air was laced with the distinct smell of freesias... of Bella.
The first thing I saw was the sign that said 'Dr. Fang and Friends' on it in a very familiar sloppy script. And holding the sign was my Bella, my beautiful Bella. She looked as gorgeous as ever, her body had definitely matured a lot in the past five years. She was more toned and she looked more durable than the delicate girl I used to know. But still the same somehow.
We walked up to where she was standing—all of us with different expressions of confusion on our faces- except for Alice whom had know this was coming.
After a minute, when she didn't look up from her phone, Carlisle cleared his throat to get her attention.
She looked up, her beautiful brown eyes colliding with mine. She gasped, dropping the board and her phone on the floor, not bothering to pick them up.
And then she opened her mouth to speak. I couldn't wait to hear her beautifully melodic voice again.
And what word fell from those heavenly lips?
"Shit."
How did you like the whole EPOV? Should I just give up on doing his POV or was it acceptable?
Thanks to all of my fabulous readers and reviewers!
Next Chapter: Bella and the Cullens have a talk.