A/N: So here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. Don't forget to vote on the poll on my profile page as to who Bella should be with!

Bella POV.

As Jane left me, I felt another part of my sanity crumble and die. I didn't know why I craved the company of the witch child; maybe it was because of her indifference, her dark humour or her child-like lure-all I knew was that her personality matched mine like two peas in a pod. I loathed what I had become with every fiber of my being and I hoped that by joining the Volturi, I could establish some sort of purpose in my life. I thought back to the time he'd gotten my hopes up...and then let me down...again...

Flashback:

I ignored the stares as I entered Biology, Edward was my life now and I didn't care what any of my classmates thought. Jessica and lauren were shooting me furtive glances as though worried I was going to attack them or something; the news of my flighty disappearance to Italy had somehow gotten round, though how, I knew not. Taking my place next to Edward, I leaned into his shoulder and he rewarded me with a crooked grin. Melting at his smile I felt all my worries from the past week drift away.

"You, ok?" he asked softly, his voice honey-like. I closed my eyes and snuggled closer. He seemed to understand my answer as he laughed, a sound that was enough to make my heart jump out of my chest.

"I'm glad, the past few days can't have been easy on you."

I winced; more like the past few months. Edward noticed it and pulled me closer as though trying to quell my miserable thoughts.

"It's all over now, though, I'll love you forever." And those words were enough to make me push away the last hints of bitterness and anger that resided in the depths of my mind...

Flashback end

I'd been foolish to believe that everything would have gone back to normal but I'd been a naive young adolescent, not knowing any better. I'd learnt my lesson and I wasn't going to love ever again.

Flashback start:

School was out and Edward and I were waiting by his car for the rest of his siblings to join us. Tonight I'd been invited round to his house for an evening of board games though I was pretty sure the games wouldn't stay on the board for long with Emmett around. The parking lot was heaving; horns blared, girls gossiped and the boys wrestled in the dust. Just your typical afternoon at Forks High. Today though, something seemed off in the air, a tenseness, a sense of apprehension and I wondered at it. I was interrupted from my musings by the soprano laugh of Alice; she was skipping like a fairy across the parking lot, weaving in and out of the many people.

"Bella!" she squealed, engulfing me in an enormous hug. Then she pulled back, a dazzling beam on her face, while she studied my dazed expression. Jasper approached her from behind and nodded to me once before sliding into the front passenger seat. Emmett grinned at me, and winked, while Rosalie glided past, her eyes flicking briefly to mine.

Alice dragged me down to the back seat, talking all the while, and I listened amiably, still overwhelmed by her excitement.

"We're going to have so much fun, Bella, I can't wait!" she shrieked. Then she turned to Emmett, ho was sitting on her other side,

"Em, what games are we playing tonight?"

Emmett shrugged,

"Whatever we want." I frowned, he was unusually subdued but I paid it no mind.

"We can play..."

And Alice was off again, describing in detail the contents of the Cullen's game cupboard, flitting between subjects like the pixie she was.

"Twister-it's so fun, Bella and we have our own special twist to it..."

I listened patiently and tried not to show my relief when we drew up outside their house-if you could call it a house, it was more like a mansion. Carlisle's Mercedes was parked outside and I felt touched that he'd bothered to leave work early in order to join in our games. Everyone exited the car and I immediately went over to Edward, seeking some peace in his embrace.

"Come on, Bella, hurry up!" Alice called from the front door. I rolled my eyes and followed Rosalie in.

"Don't be overwhelmed by Alice, she's really excited that you've let her drag you into this," Rosalie said quietly. I started, surprised to hear the usual, spiteful tone of her voice gone, replaced with a more, reluctant sound.

"I hardly get a say in the matter," I joked. Rosalie offered me a small smile before stepping inside. Edward gently pushed me forwards, urging me to go in. I felt a twinge of annoyance at it and sensing it, he removed his hand. I stopped to marvel once more at the beauty of their house; Esme was certainly very skilled when it came to interior designing. Another squeal sounded, and Alice reappeared in the lounge doorway with Esme and Carlisle trailing.

"Let's start playing!" Alice smiled and pulled into the room. Esme gave me an encouraging smile and Carlisle grimaced apologetically.

"It's fine," I reassured them," I'm glad that Alice gets to have her fun."

"Sorry if she's been pressurising you, Bella," Carlisle murmured softly.

"I heard that!" Alice's indignant reply drfited in from the other room. Carlisle rolled his eyes and took my hand in his, leading me to where the others were all sat. then he went to sit by Esme on the couch and I was pulled down onto Edward's lap.

"Bella," he hesitated," before...before we start ther's something I need to tell you..."

Flashback end

And that had been when he'd announced he was leaving me...again. He'd said he had to hunt down Victoria and eliminate her and that I'd only be safe and happy when she was dead. I hadn't liked that. I'd begged him, pleaded with him not to leave me again and for a moment I thought he was going to break and cave into my demands. But then his face had hardened and he'd insisted he was doing if for me. And my heart had broken and my mind had shattered because no matter what he said or how he put it, he was leaving me. leaving me alone, to suffer and scream and wonder whether he'd ever come back. And I hated him for it.

Caius POV.

I was angry. I was well within my rights to be angry. Angry at my brothers, angry at myself, angry at the Cullen's and angry at the girl. That's what she was. A girl. A pathetic human girl with a pathetic mind shield that just so happened to counter my brother's gift and that made it all alright to accept her into the guard. Wrong! If I were Aro, she'd be dead already, drained and forgotten about. But I wasn't Aro and so I had to suffer through the monumental mistakes he continued to make, every time he let a crime pass, every time he let a human live. Right now I hated him.

And Marcus. The old bat was crazy; he stirs himself once in a century and it's for a back-chatting, insolent, ignorant little human girl. He was messed up in the head. Both him and Aro. I'd been glad to see my disgust reflected on most of the guard's faces but that did little to molify me. I would never forgive them...

Hope that was a bit of an insight into Bella's anger and Caius' outrage.

Dreamshadow102