Sorry for the delay in updating…been extremely busy…and I had some family drama to stamp out…Haha, I'm the Volturi of my family. Anyways, moving on…

I own nothing save for the plot.

BPoV:

I felt a presence in my room, but I wasn't going to look away from the beautiful lights of Volterra twinkling in the night. I knew who it was anyways, I'd heard him cursing loudly to himself outside my room. After a few moments, I cleared my throat, and without looking away from the beautiful night view, I spoke.

"What do you want, Felix?" I asked softly. He cleared his throat.

"Aro sent me to check on you…are you okay…Bella?" I turned around and hopped down off the windowsill and flinched in pain when I landed on both feet. My ankle…I'd forgotten. I pulled my right foot up slightly to take my weight off it. He raised an eyebrow and walked over to one of the chairs and flopped down.

"I didn't know vampires could flop." I fairly growled. His crimson eyes turned black then flicked back to red. I made no indication that I noticed I'd irritated him. I hopped over to another chair and flopped down as well. These chairs were extremely comfortable. The corners of Felix's mouth tugged upward ever so slightly in a humorous smile.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, glaring at him. That quickly made his smirk vanish and he shook his head.

"Nothing. I just find amusement in watching you hop around on one foot." I drummed my fingers on the arm of the chair, the beige velour soft beneath my fingertips.

"I'd imagine one would find amusement in their handiwork," I mumbled, then continued, louder. "When is Victoria getting back?"

"I would imagine she'll be eating all night. God knows how long it's been since she fed, and it's a miracle she didn't eat you." He inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly. "Shit, it's a miracle I haven't bitten your pretty little neck." He said, his tone short.

"Good lord Felix," I whispered. "If you hate me so much, why are you still in here?" His answer did nothing to ease my mind.

"I have no clue." He stated simply, but he made no move to leave. I yawned. He tilted his head and watched me.

"What are you staring at?" I inquired indignantly.

"I don't watch humans much. Usually the only thing I see is terror before they become a meal." He responded. "Are you tired, gi-Bella?" As if in response, I yawned again, and nodded. I stood up, more careful of my injured ankle now, and went to hobble to the bed when I was suddenly scooped up into a pair of cold arms. I looked at Felix, shocked.

"What are you doing? Put me down!" I hissed. He acquiesced and put me down…on my bed.

"Tomorrow morning you are to dress, eat, and come immediately to the throne room. Aro, Caius, and Marcus will be waiting." He said, then left my room.

The next morning…

I woke up and stretched, yawning. The sunlight streamed through my window, and I nearly caught my breath in the beauty of it. It seemed I'd been too wrapped up in Edward to even notice the simple things in life anymore. My heart ached at the thought of him. I nearly jumped straight into the air when a loud knock sounded at my door. The door opened before I could even open my mouth, and in stepped Victoria, wearing a simple white sundress, her red hair falling down past her shoulders.

"Good morning, little Swan." She smiled and sat on the end of my bed. "Did you sleep well?" I nodded.

"Yes I did, thank you…did you eat well last night?" She nodded in turn and smiled. "Makes you less tempting…not that I ever would…but you do smell wonderful." She chuckled. We sat there giggling like two old friends for a couple of minutes.

"Bella, I am going to stay here for today, but I am a nomad. I don't do well with staying in one spot, so I'm probably going to take off tonight." Fright must have shown on my face, because she moved to reassure me.

"It's not forever, little Swan. I'll be back quite often to visit, and I finally got a cell phone, so I'll always be a phone call away. I have a feeling you and I will become good friends." She smiled gently. I heard another knock at the door and Felix walked in, carrying a tray of food…scrambled eggs…bacon…and bruschetta…I flushed in embarassment as I realized I was fairly drooling. He put the tray in front of me and regarded me for a moment.

"I will return in 30 minutes to take you to the throne room. I trust that is enough time to eat and get dressed?" I nodded in reply to him, and true to my word, 30 minutes later I was dressed and ready to go tell my tale to Aro and his brothers. He returned, picked me up in his arms, nodded for Victoria to follow him, and off we went to the throne room.

"What is the meaning of this Felix? Why is my dear Bella not walking of her own accord?" Felix shrugged. "It was quicker this way." He went to set me down in a chair that Jane had brought, his shoulder accidentally bumped Aro's. He stiffened, and I looked from him to Aro…Aro's eyes had gone black. Oh shit…Aro probably just saw what happened last night. I barely had time to curl myself into a ball before I was being held upright by Caius. Aro's delicate fingers pulled my shirt away from my shoulder, the silence was split by an earsplitting roar as Felix was thrown across the room.

Aro sped to the other side of the room and picked up Felix again, tossing him at my feet. I looked at Victoria, the horror in her face reflecting my own. Aro stepped towards Felix slowly, menacingly, a growl in his throat. I look behind the thrones and saw the wives. I hadn't even noticed them there. They too wore similar expressions of shock and horror. I looked at Caius and whispered "Stop him! Please!". He looked at me, let me go, and shook his head.

Before I knew what I was doing, I had thrown my body over Felix's, and looked at Aro and cried out "Don't hurt him!". Aro pulled himself up short, looked to Marcus, then to me. His eyes were red again.

"Dearest Bella! I am merely punishing him for what he did to you…this is not appealing to you, I presume?" I nodded, keeping myself around Felix. Well, as much as I could…like I said, dude is huge. Felix looked at me, shock written in his features. I couldn't look away, and my hand lifted itself and placed my fingers against his cheek. What. The. Hell. I pulled my hand away after shaking my head at myself. I looked to Aro, who wore a bemused expression on his face.

"I provoked him, Aro…It was really my fault…please don't hurt him…at least not anymore than you already have…please…" I whispered, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. Aro looked confounded.

"Well doesn't this just confuse the hell out of me." He said resignedly. "Dear Swan, you can get up and sit back in the chair now, Felix, you might as well help her." I rolled off of Felix, and he stood, then reached a hand out for me. I took his hand and he pulled me up, murmuring "Be careful of your ankle, Bella…". His tone had a gentler quality to it and he offered me his arm. I looped my arm through his, but not before looking at him, confused. He merely shook his head and helped me over to the chair. I sat down, and he placed a hand on my shoulder, letting it rest there a moment before he went back to his place along the wall with the rest of the guard. Aro looked at Marcus.

"I must meet with you later for a game of chess, dear brother." Marcus nodded his assent, and Aro turned back to me.

"Now, to the matter at hand, dear Bella. You told me last night that you have come to Volterra to honor the condition set forth in exchange for the permission for Alice and Edward Cullen, and yourself, to leave Volterra alive. Please tell us why you have not been turned by a Cullen, and why they are not here as well." He said.

I gulped, and looked to Victoria. She gave me a reassuring nod, and I began my story. Of how after we had left Volterra, Edward had taken me into the middle of the woods and left me there again, stating he was too dangerous for me, and stating once more that I was not good enough for him. I told Aro and his brothers of how I attempted to find my way home, only to get hopelessly lost, of how Victoria found me, and was going to kill me. Aro's eyes flew to Victoria, and he beckoned her forward, and held out his hand. Victoria took his hand, and Aro closed his eyes briefly before he looked at me warmly. He looked again at Victoria.

"Victoria, this is truly amazing…please share this with everyone else." Victoria looked to me, then to the other gathered in the throne room.

"Well…my mate, James, had smelled Bella before Edward left her the first time." Here I flinched and drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. "He was a tracker…he followed her to Phoenix, and nearly killed her before the Cullens killed him. I was enraged, and I set out to make Edward hurt like he'd hurt me. I'd kill Bella here…I happened upon her, lost in the woods…I was all ready to kill her…and she apologized to me, she said she was sorry for her part in my mate's death…that she'd be pretty mad at herself too if she were me…and then, she says 'At least you know your mate loved you, mine's just left me here to die.' I couldn't kill her then. If he'd been able to leave her…and then I got mad! How irresponsible to leave a human out in the middle of the woods at the mercy of whatever, or whomever, she came across! I couldn't kill her. I couldn't even be mad at her." Victoria finished. I felt more than a few pairs of eyes on me, and after a moment, I lifted my head up. They were all staring, some with mouths agape.

Aro came over to me and knelt in front of me. "Bella…you're incredibly selfless. My brothers and I have much to talk about. We admire your integrity in coming here to honor the promise you made to us, and we will turn you, but in due time, in due time, young dear." He stood and beckoned to Felix.

"Take Bella to her room, or elsewhere if she so desires. Get her some lunch and make sure she gets some fresh air." Felix nodded and came over, scooping me up in his arms. We were almost at the door when Aro's voice rang out.

"Oh and Felix?" Felix turned and looked at Aro. "Do try and not break Miss Swan. You'd regret it." He said sardonically, looking at his nails. Felix nodded and sped back to my room. He set me down gently in the chair, then picked up the chair and moved it, and subsequently me, next to the window, which he then opened. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face as I inhaled and smelled the Italian summer air…all the flowers…fresh cut grass…I hope this is one smell that never changes after I'm turned. I didn't notice that Felix had pulled the other chair to the window, facing me, until he sat in it and just looked at me. I looked at him until it got uncomfortable, then looked away, my gaze drifiting out the window again.

"Bella…" Felix said.

"Hmm?" I sounded, still gazing out the window, watching some butterflies that were flitting among the roses in the gardens.

"What the hell happened back there?" He asked, his tone a mix between incredulous and awestruck. I turned and looked at him. I had no clue what the answer was. Hell, I wanted to know the same friggin' thing! Holy crow, this was going to be awkward.

Please read and review! I crave them! Also, I know this chapter wasn't long either, but I wanted to update and I figured something was better than nothing. I can't make any promises about the length of subsequent chapters. I'd rather give you guys updates rather than worry about if my chapters are long enough.

MUAH!