Words: 1265

Franklin – by Paramore

Half a century later.

The shape ducked into an alley to the left, so I went after it, silently. I knew it would look back; to see if I was following, so I jumped over it just as it looked back. With a loud crash, I barged into it, sending it flying to the wall. While it was disoriented, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and extracted what was needed.

One vial of venom, a hand and some hair later, and its pieces lay scattered near a growing bonfire. Whether it would reassemble in time to escape, I doubted, but it didn't matter any longer. I had what was needed, and it was safe. I would be rewarded for this, and Felix would eat his words once again.

The streets of Madrid were bright and busy, the Spanish chatter everywhere. Teenagers hung out with friends until nightfall, and the cars always seemed to have the same radio station on. The airport seemed like culture central, with so many different languages floating around.

"... Me gustaría facturar estas dos maletas."

"Por supuesto, señora, ¿su pasaporte?"

"Ah, aquí esta."

"… Muy bien, esta todo en orden."

By dawn, I was on the plane to Volterra, Italy. I feigned sleep for the entire flight, wishing again to be able to sleep and speed up time. Sometimes, it passed painfully slow, like a slug passing through thick, murky mud.

"Miss Isabella, welcome home."

"Aro, Caius, Marcus." I greeted the three before extracting the bag from my breast pocket. Then, I walked up to them and handed each of them one of the items recovered. "The vial of venom," the small bottle was placed in Aro's frozen hands. "The body part," I gave the hand to Caius, who looked at it in disinterest. "And the hair," I finished, with a slightly confused tone, as I handed the pouch of hair to Marcus, whose eyes stared at the green pouch with curiosity.

"Well done, my dear Isabella. It seems that, once again, you have proven your usefulness and worth to us." He paused, and I flinched slightly as I realised what he was about to say. "Is now the right time to inquire as to why you have joined us?"

"Apologies, Aro, but it is not yet time. Maybe in the future I will tell all." And with that, I turned on my heel and walked out of the hall, the doors flying shut behind me.

"Isabella, Isabella!" Felix called from somewhere, probably hiding. "How did it go?" He appeared in front of me, smug and overconfident. For years, he has been convinced I will one day slip up, ruining my perfect streak of missions.

"Mission accomplished." I pushed him out of the way and ignored his attempts at a comeback. It was always the same, and I always won. I was one of the best, because I never let myself get close. My emotions were as shut off now as they were fifty years ago. I called this city home, but it wasn't really. It was just my bed, and my office.

I arrived at my room thirsty and my eyes pitch black, so I walked on to the basement. We usually kept our food there, just in case anyone was hungry out of scheduled hours. I headed for the woman hidden in the corner, cowering with her eyes shut. "Goodbye," I snarled at her, and I drained her silently, leaving no chance for any screams.

"...Prepare accommodation for our guests, as well as some food, in case they were to need it."

"Yes Aro," Heidi scurried off, passing by me, and disappeared behind a door.

"What guests?" I asked, "I thought our only guests were the humans we feed on."

"Oh no, dear Isabella," Aro responded, "there are times when old friends come to visit us. We take great joy in having them here, so, with guests, we are perfect hosts throughout their stay."

I'd never noticed, "Who are they?" I demanded, both hoping and not that it was that family of golden eyed vampires. It was stupid, so I was relieved to hear Aro's response;

"The Denali's," he looked at me for a minute, "I think you knew of them. The Cullen's and The Denali's are very close. But no, the Cullen's aren't visiting as of now."

"I had heard of them, yes. They are from Alaska, and Eleazar was once in your guard."

"Indeed, decades ago; when war was raging across the world. He was one of my secret weapons. When we came across an opposing coven, he sensed their abilities, and those with useful ones we offered a chance to survive and stay with us. Pity they didn't."

I faintly agreed, before taking my leave back to my dormitory. I felt strangely disappointed at hearing the Cullen's weren't visiting. I wanted them to see me now – so they know I'm stronger than them, and much better off without them.

I was. I was. I was. I was. I was.

The past fifty years prove it. I haven't failed one mission, even the one when I had to track down a crazed vampire killing off hundreds of humans in daylight – albeit, that one was a nightmare to find and scarily fast and quiet, even for me. I was strong and I'm not weak. I don't give in to temptation – there is no temptation. The golden eyed are weak, too weak to survive and prosper, so they try to get by in the worst possible way.

I didn't belong with them, because I was human and weak, like them. But I wasn't meant to stay that way. I changed, in every way, and I'm the best I can be.

The Denalis arrived too soon, and I was soon called to show them to their rooms. Why they needed beds, I didn't wish to know, but I agreed and was leading the quintet to their rooms. "Isabella Volturi? I'm just informing you that our last member is arriving late, he's probably almost landing."

I raised an eyebrow, sure they were only five, but I shrugged and nodded, heading to the airport to pick the last vampire up, as I'm sure I was going to be told to do anyway.

I was tossed keys by a smug Felix, who was surely glad I was made to do common errands as well as important missions. He probably thought I felt insignificant, but I wouldn't care what I did. If I was told to, I did it, and that was that. I didn't kick up a fuss like he'd done a couple of times, but if I didn't like it, I still did it.

I raised an eyebrow and scoffed at his attempt to annoy me by giving me keys to a Mini, it was a car which I needed for ten minutes maximum, so it didn't irk me [but I made sure I'd make him suffer for his useless attempts, I wasn't about to let his smug grin slide as well].

While I waited for his plane to land and for the last of the Denali clan to arrive, I looked around at shops I had been in hundreds of times before. Hearing the passengers swarm out rapidly, I looked for signs of a very pale and golden eyed person. It was a small airport, as Volterra wasn't exactly a large metropolitan city, so I soon found the person I needed to find. And, to my dismay, I recognised him as if I'd last seen him yesterday.

So who could it be? Keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily have to have been a vampire when Bella was human. DUN DUN DUN.

And, sorry for the LARGE delay, but I have no proper excuse. I'll just upload and hope it's not too bad, this chapter, at least.