Disclaimer: Twilight and the characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer.

I only own the plot of this story.

Chapter 4 I'm not afraid to die

BPOV

Morning came too soon. I loved this bed. It was so large, soft, and the comforter was heavenly light and fluffy. I wouldn't regret dying in this bed right now. The rest of the hotel room was fantastic as well, but I really, really, loved this bed. Dad found it odd that I slept with the door wide open. He laughed when he saw me trying to make snow angels on top of the bed.

Phil had me locked in my room for so long, that keeping the door open felt liberating. I dragged myself out of the bed and went to take a shower. The bathroom was the next best thing in this hotel room. The bathroom was full marble, spacious, with a deep soak tub and separate rain shower. It even had a TV. The rug was so soft, and the amenities were so fancy.

Esme took me to the spa after dinner. I didn't want to get naked in front of strangers so she booked me a hand and foot treatment. I got a manicure and pedicure for the first time in my life. Now my nails were painted pearly light blue. Dad smiled when I showed my hands and feet to him last night. He looked really happy when I told him all about how they massaged and scrubbed my feet. I really felt like a royalty, well I assumed that was how a Royal felt.

Dad and I sat in the dining room area of the suite when the breakfast was delivered, compliments of Volturi Games I suppose. I sat in the chair in my bathrobe like Vivian, in Pretty Woman.

Dad kept sighing while we ate. I think he really didn't want to leave me behind. We went to sit on the couch and watched TV after we finished breakfast. The terry robe was so comfortable. I wanted to stay in it as long as I could. My terry robe bliss ended when Rosalie came to our room to take me shopping. I went to change into my jeans and T shirt while Dad finished packing. I got done before Dad. I was sure he moved slowly on purpose.

Rose followed us down to the parking lot to see Dad off. I told her she could stay in the room, but she wanted to take me shopping as soon as Dad left, so she tagged along.

"Are you sure you're okay to stay for a day or two more alone with the Cullens?" Charlie asked with worry in his eyes.

"I'll be fine, Dad. They treat me really well."

"If anything goes wrong, call me. I'm only a few hours' drive away. I'll come and get you, okay?"

"Take care, Dad. I'll see you soon." I hugged Dad. It still felt awkward. I wasn't the hugging type and Dad didn't seem like one either. Even after he was buckled into his seat, he wouldn't start his car.

"Bells, are you sure you'll be fine? Promise me that you'll always have someone with you while you're here." He said to me after he lowered his window.

"Dad, I don't think that's even an option. Look," I said and pointed to Rosalie who stood a few feet away from us.

"All right. I'm going to go. I'll give you a call tonight. Carlisle is going to be here for a few more days, so you'll be staying with him. I'll get your bedroom set up, so that it's ready when you arrive in Forks. Esme told me that she'll help me with it. What color do you want for your bedding?" Dad was definitely stalling. It seemed like he couldn't leave me behind or he just didn't want to part from me.

"I like blue."

"Blue it is, then. I'll miss you, Bells." Charlie's eyes were full of tears, and looked like it would spill over any minute. I leaned into his window, and gave him a kiss on his cheek. It definitely wasn't something I normally did, but it just seemed like Charlie needed it. He'd been really good to me, so I wanted to do something for him. Charlie nodded and started the engine. I stepped back and waved at him as he drove away.

"Wow, I didn't think he'd ever leave. I thought I'd need to call for a tow truck and tow him all the way to Forks," Rosalie laughed. "Let's go do some damage," Rosalie grabbed my hand and pulled me to her car. Two hours later we had 3 shopping bags full of clothes and shoes.

When Rosalie heard my stomach growl she smiled and took me to Johnny Rockets for burgers, shakes, and fries.

"Slow down, Bella. You're going to make yourself sick if you eat so fast. I know the bastard starved you, but that's never going to happen to you again. Just relax and enjoy the food."

I didn't realize I ate like a pig. I just couldn't help myself when I saw food. I dreamed of food every night for almost a month. I needed to kick this horrible habit or I would embarrass the people around me.

"Bella, I didn't say it to make you self conscious. I just don't want you choking on the food." I nodded.

After we finished eating, Rosalie took me back to the office. She took me to the conference room we were in yesterday. I found Jasper and Edward there. They looked upset for some reason.

"What crawled up you guys' ass?" Rosalie commented laughing.

"We think James or somebody planted a virus in the computers belonging to the programmers and game level designers involved in Ugly Duckling. Well, actually we aren't sure if it's limited to them only yet. Since it's Sunday, not many people are here. Maybe there are more PCs affected. We just don't know yet. As soon as some of the guys came in and logged onto their PC, it triggered the virus and erased everything on their hard drive."

"Don't the guys back up everything on the server daily?" I asked Edward.

"They should have, but James instructed the ones working on Ugly Duckling not to upload on the server until they were ready to send it to him for his approval. Caius and his team are working on sorting this out, and find out how extensive the damage is."

"Well, I'm off to go and see Emmett," Rosalie waved and left the room.

"Did you have fun shopping?" Edward smiled and asked.

"Ummm. It wasn't bad, but I'm not used to the way Rosalie shops. She made me wait in the dressing room and brought clothes for me to try on at every one of the stores we went, so I never really got to see what the stores even had. Wait, that didn't come out right. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful."

"Bella, what you just went through was not shopping. You just modeled for Rosalie. We're leaving for Forks tomorrow so you should do some real shopping. Whitlock, could you take her shopping? Unlike Rose, you know what Bella likes."

"Sure. Are you hungry, Duckling? Do you need to eat before we shop?"

"Rosalie took me to Johnny Rockets for lunch. I really don't need to shop for anything more. I have more than I'll ever need. If I need something, I'll buy it in Forks." Edward and Jasper bellowed.

"Trust me, Duckling. You wouldn't be able to find what you need in Forks. You'll be back here next weekend if we don't get some more stuff today. You don't have to get more clothes."

"Oh, I got something to give you. Jane brought it down. It's your iPhone. Don't worry about the charges. It gets billed to Volturi Games."

"Ummm. Can I make personal calls with it? Like call you guys?"

"Do whatever you want with it." I smiled and thanked Edward.

I tried my best to convince Edward and Jasper that I didn't need to go shopping, but Edward wouldn't back down, and sent me and Jasper out shopping. Since I left all my cookbooks in Phoenix, I decided to ask Jasper to take me to the bookstore. He seemed really happy that there was something I wanted.

After shopping for the cookbooks, he took me to get some fruit smoothies. We sat in a café with seating outside. It still felt awkward having bodyguards. At least Felix and Alec looked more comfortable this time. They really stood out when Rosalie and I shopped for the clothes. Rosalie even took a picture of them when came into Victoria's Secret with us. I swear I saw Felix blush.

I was starting to feel a little sad while I sipped on my strawberry smoothie. I would have to part from Lone Star soon. He was my superhero and my security blanket He had always been a great friend to me, but I was never this attached to him since I only knew him online until now.

"Duckling, what's that frown for?"

"I'm going to miss you."

"Not for long, Duckling. Aro asked me to help you and Edward out this summer in Forks. I'll work on the game while you're at school. My Aunt Charlotte lives on the reservation with her husband, but Carlisle suggested I stay with them, so that I wouldn't have to be so far out on the res. I'm not taking any classes during the summer, so it worked out perfectly."

"Did you just say something about me being in school?"

"Oh, I didn't know the Chief didn't get around to telling you. The Volturi legal team together with your Dad worked out a deal with your old high school and Forks High. After you finish 6 weeks of summer school, your old high school is issuing your diploma."

"Oh. So that means I have to socialize with the kids in town then."

"I think Emmett and Edward's sister has to go to summer school in order to get her diploma as well, so you'll have someone to talk to. I don't really know her. I just saw her in their house when I'd hang out with Edward, but she's a Cullen, so I'm sure she'll be good to you. All the Cullens I know are great people. I'm sure you'd meet her before summer school starts."

"You know, everything seems too good to be true. Am I dreaming? Am I going to wake up back in my room in Phoenix? " I muttered and sighed.

EPOV

As I stretched after the 3 hour meeting I had with Aro and the marketing team, Victoria, from the legal department approached me in the hallway.

"Hi, Edward. Looking forward to going back to your hometown to look after that girl? What time are you leaving with her tomorrow? Do you have time to go on a date with me tonight?" Victoria asked.

I wished I never went out with her. She was really persistent, and didn't give up unless I went out on date with her, so I did. That was my mistake. She would be considered beautiful, if you liked siren red, long, and wavy hair. She just wasn't my type. She was too clingy and unpredictable. One minute she'd be all over you, and the next minute she'd be so cold. Maybe she was on something. I didn't want to know in case she got busted.

I started ignoring her, and it seemed like she gave up until a few days ago. She started to text me, and left messages on my phone. She had to know I was busy with this case, and she had to be too, since she was on the legal team. We didn't need anyone slacking off with this situation at hand.

"I don't think I'll have any free time, and even if I did, I've told you many times that it was fun while it lasted. Let us just part on good terms, Victoria."

"I know it's not going to work for us long term. I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I'm just talking about a date. You know, have a few drinks, hang out, and satisfy each other. If you know what I mean. No strings attached. I thought men liked women like me."

"I'm sure there are plenty of men who want someone like you, but that's not me. You and I work in the same company. It's not wise to have that kind of relationship. I think we're done here."

"Come on, Edward. Don't be like that. What's the harm in just a few drinks?"

"Victoria, you just don't give up, do you? I don't know how to say this nicely anymore. I said I'm not interested. You're a beautiful girl. You'll find anyone you desire. Stop wasting time on someone like me who's not interested."

"Oh well, I had to try. You'll miss me though, Edward Cullen. Call me when you do!" Victoria kissed me on my cheek and went cat walking down the hall.

"Ooooh. I saw that!" Emmett bumped his shoulder into me in the hallway.

"It's nothing."

"Getting a kiss on your cheek is nothin? I don't think so, bro."

"She won't leave me alone." I said and sighed

"And you're complaining? Since when does Edward Cullen turn a woman down?"

"You make me sound like a man whore. I'm not interested in her. I told her as much. I couldn't be any more forward than that. If she still contacts me I'll just ignore her."

"Man, what a waste. I'd tap that."

"Go ahead. She's all yours."

"Yeah right. Rosie will castrate me and feed my balls to Hannibal Lecter."

"I don't think even Hannibal Lecter will eat your balls." I said and laughed. "Anyway, what's next on the agenda?"

"Well, there's really not much else you can do. Caius and the people he brought in are perfectly capable of investigating who's involved. Our legal team sent a notice out to other game publishers, requesting them to contact us, if James or anyone else approached them in regards to Ugly Duckling, or something similar to it. We've had a lot of inquiries from users and press asking what's going to happen to Ugly Duckling so we posted a notice up on our website that Ugly Duckling hasn't been cancelled. We've covered our bases. I suggest you go home and pack to leave for Forks. There's really nothing left for you to do here at the moment."

"Al right. I might as well go pack. Where's Bella anyway? Who's looking after her?"

"Dad sent her back to the hotel with Jasper for a swim in the pool. She was getting cabin fever. After all she was stuck in her room for like a month. I don't blame her for wanting to go outside. They have a kickass pool at the Four Seasons. They've got the view of Bainbridge Island, the ferries, Olympic Mountains, and Elliott Bay."

"Nice. Maybe I'll go and join them. I've got my swim trunks in my locker in the gym so."

"Take Rosie with you. She's been bitching all day that she worked this weekend."

"She's your assistant. It couldn't be avoided."

"I like to keep my woman happy. Happy Rosie equals happy Emmett junior." Emmett waggled his brows.

"That is too much information, Em. Yuk."

"Whatever. Get going."

Rose was thrilled when I told her that Em wanted me to ask her to join me for a swim at Four Seasons. I asked her if she needed me to drop by their place to pickup her bathing suit, but she told me she had one in the trunk of her her car. We each needed our transportation, so we left in our own cars to Four Seasons.

Dad gave me the key card to the room Bella shared with him. "Damn, the view from here is gorgeous. They have the view of Puget Sound and Elliott Bay." Rose whistled.

"They have the next best to the Presidential suite. I hope the view is nothing short of amazing."

"Well, I'm glad she got to have a little luxury. She deserves it. Go ahead to the pool, I'm gonna order some cocktails, sit out on the balcony, and enjoy the view a while first."

"See ya later then, Rose." I said and waved at Rose.

I found Jasper doing laps in the pool while Bella stood cheering at Jasper. I laughed when I saw Felix and Alec sitting under one of the umbrellas wearing shorts and a polo shirt. I was sure they looked like a lovely couple to strangers. I got my phone out, took a picture of them, and sent the picture to Emmett and Rose. I was sure Emmett and Rose would have a blast.

I sneaked up behind Bella, grabbed her by her waist and plunged into the pool with her in my arms.

Bella squealed. "Edward, I'm all wet now." Hmmm, is she? I mentally slapped myself for my indecent thoughts. I had to remind myself that she was still a minor. I probably wouldn't get out of here alive if my family members, the Chief, or Jasper knew what I thought about her just a minute ago.

Bella went around me and jumped onto my back. I don't know what Jasper was thinking, but he jumped onto Bella's back. I now had two people on my back and I couldn't hold both of their weights on me, and we went plunging into the water backwards with Jasper on the very bottom.

We got out of the pool coughing, gagging, and laughing. The sun was going down and the breeze felt a little chilly. The pool had an outdoor fireplace that gave off the feel of a campfire, so we ordered some hot chocolate and sat by the fireplace.

"I had so much fun today. I hate that we're leaving tomorrow. What time?"

"We should avoid the morning rush hour traffic and leave right around noon. If all goes well we should be in Forks by 3 p.m. We can stop by a drive through on our way to Forks for lunch."

"Can we go to Dairy Queen?" Bella asked like her life depended on it. She really reminded me of Alice when she wanted something.

"Sure, we can do that. I haven't had the Cappuccino Heath Blizzard in ages. We'll stop at one here, and then we'll start our journey to Forks."

"Thanks," Bella hummed and sipped her hot chocolate. I was sure my parents would love to trade Alice for Bella. Alice would never be thrilled over a fast food joint. Alice was a tiny little thing, but she still worried about calorie intake. I was actually surprised that Rose took Bella out to a burger joint. Rose rarely ate fast food or red meat. It was nice to know that everyone, not just my family, was voluntarily stepping out of their comfort zone to make Bella happy.

While Bella animatedly spoke about her experience at Dairy Queen when she was a little girl, I received a call from Emmett.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Aro wants to see you three and me tonight for dinner. I'll text you the place and time to your phone. Rose got Bella a dress, right? Make sure she wears that. I'm quite sure the restaurant is going to be upscale. All right. I'll pass the info down. Oh, by the way, Rose never showed up at the pool. She said she was going to chill in the balcony, but I haven't heard from her since."

"Rosie called earlier. She decided to go to the spa there instead. She won't be joining us for dinner though. Aro invited only you, me, Dad, Jasper, and Bella. He referred to us as 'family'."

"Should I play the theme song of Godfather in the background?"

"Well, nothin' beats the Godfather. Anyway, I'll text the info as soon as I get it from Jane."

"Thanks, see you at dinner."

"What's up?" Jasper asked.

"Aro wants you, me, Bella, and Em to join him and Dad for dinner. Em's gonna text me when and where."

"What am I supposed to wear for dinner like that?" Bella looked scared.

"Well, can I see what Rose got for you today? I'm sure I can pick the right dress for the occasion." Bella nodded repeatedly.

Once Jasper and I were back in the suite, we went through the dresses Rose got at bebe for Bella. There was a mid thigh knit dress that the top part was white and the skirt part was black and tiered. The short sleeves puffed and there was a small keyhole cutout on the upper back of the dress. It was modest, stylish, and perfect for Bella. I liked it and showed it to Bella.

"How about this dress? I think it's chic and nice for dinner."

"It's a really pretty dress, but I'm afraid I might stain the top part since it's white."

"Just don't order anything with tomato sauce and you'll be fine." Bella nodded.

Jasper and I needed to change too. I had a garment bag with suit and tie and shoes in my trunk for occasions like this when I needed to go to business dinner, so I asked Jasper to stay with Bella while I went and grabbed my stuff from the car. The suite had 2 full bathrooms so Bella could use the master bath and I was fine using the other bathroom. As soon I was back, Jasper left to go back to his apartment to get changed. I told him I'd text him as soon as I knew where the dinner was going to take place. It was always like this with Aro. We were never notified of the location for security purpose until the last minute.

I was surprised that Aro was so hands on in regards to Ugly Duckling. He usually let Marcus or Caius handle the details. He had a reputation for liking younger women though. I was quite sure Jane was one of his girlfriends. Aro wasn't married, and it didn't seem like he had any plans of getting married either. The dates he brought to all the charity events and balls were always very young. I wondered if Aro's interest in Bella was more than professional. Just thinking about it made me sick. Aro was way too old.

It didn't take long for Bella and me to get dressed. We both sat on the couch and turned on the TV. I was really impressed how Bella took everything in a stride.

"Bella, how do you do it? The past two days had been so life changing for you, but you're so calm and collected."

"I think I just haven't had the chance to let everything sink in, but in all honesty, anything is better than being in that house with Phil."

"You're not worried that someone might be after you?"

"The worst thing that could happen to me is that I might get killed, right? I spent a month wishing I never woke up. I'm not scared of death. If I died today, I'd die happy. I got to meet Dad and Jasper, I ate a lot of awesome food, I got to stay at this fancy hotel, I won't be able to finish Ugly Duckling or go to college, but that's just minor details. You can't have it all."

I was at loss for words. These weren't words that should be coming out of a teenager. She should be thinking that everything was possible, and she should be chasing her dreams. I didn't know if I should cry that she didn't really have the desire to live or be happy that she was content. Phil Dwyer really did a number on her. From what I gathered from Jasper, this wasn't the Bella he used to know. I now had a new found determination to restore her back to the girl she used to be. I didn't like this Precious Moments -Count your many blessings kind of girl.

I was saved by Emmett's call. I just didn't know how to respond to her comments. Emmett informed me that Aro was picking us up in his limousine, and to be ready by 8 p.m. I asked for the name of the restaurant and location, but he told me Jane wouldn't tell him, and that all she told him was to have everyone gather at Four Seasons. I called Jasper up to let him know, and he said that he'll try to be at our hotel by 7:30 p.m.

JPOV

Duckling and Edward came down after I rang them up to let them know I was in the lobby. "Be prepared to sit here for half an hour. Aro is never on time." Edward said and sighed.

"You look really sharp, Lone Star," Duckling smiled.

"Thanks. I only own two suits. One for the summer, and another for winter," I said and laughed.

"Hah. I win. Rosalie got me 3 suit jackets, 2 pants, and 2 skirts that matched the jacket, so I own more suits than you do," Duckling smirked with her hands on her hips and Edward chuckled.

"Nope. I win cuz I got this at the premium outlet. I didn't have to pay full price."

"Darn," Duckling laughed.

While we teased each other, Emmett walked into the lobby. He looked like he came straight from the office. He was in the same suit he wore today. Emmett was working around the clock. I never thought he'd turn out like this. He never studied and was always stuck in detention when we were in high school.

"Look at you, all dressed up," Emmett teased and tickled Duckling. Duckling was saved when Emmett received a call.

The call was from the driver notifying him that they just pulled up to the hotel. When we walked out the lobby my brows furrowed when I noticed that Aro wasn't here in a stretch limousine. There was no way all of us would fit. When I glanced around Edward and Emmett had a scowl on their faces too. I assumed they probably had the same assumption I had in my mind.

"Go grab your car, Edward. Follow the limo with Jasper. I'll insist on riding with Bella in the limo. I don't want her alone with Aro," Emmett said and Edward went to get his car.

The driver opened the door and requested Duckling to step in. Emmett squeezed his ass into the car before Duckling, and pulled her in with her on his lap. I couldn't see Aro's face, but I could easily imagine his dissatisfied look.

The driver shut the door and told us to follow the limo to Canlis, and he slipped me a memo with the address and phone number of the restaurant. I was sure Aro booked a private dining room. I could easily assume that he'd be dropping a few grand at the restaurant tonight. It was ridiculous to try to woo her with expensive dining. She was the kind of girl who enjoyed casual dining where they had pictures of food on the menu. I really hoped Duckling would enjoy this dinner, and wouldn't feel too uncomfortable.

EmPOV

I never let go of Bella's waist in the car, and even after we were escorted into the private dining room. Aro kept glancing my way with his eyes narrowed. I had no intention of letting him treat Bella as his new toy. She was valuable to Volturi Games, and my family and I sincerely considered her as family, which meant that I would never let anyone hurt or mistreat her.

Aro requested that Bella be seated beside him, so I took the seat next to Bella and pulled her seat closer to mine with her sitting on it. She jumped in surprise, but she caught on when I winked at her.

Bella scowled when she saw the menu. I could easily tell she couldn't understand what the dishes were. I pointed to the Carrot soup for the first course, and Canlis salad for the second course, and Bella nodded. For the main course I pointed to the tortellini and steaks, so that she could choose, and she chose the steak.

"Oh, mi princesa bella, those are such ordinary dishes. You should try their creative ones," Aro said to her. It was an order, not a suggestion.

Before I could respond for her, Bella told Aro that she was too hungry to be adventurous and made Aro laugh. She was good. No one went against Aro, but she turned down his order with humor and charm successfully.

Dad sighed in relief. I don't think Dad or Aro understood that it wasn't that Bella didn't want to try the creative dishes, she just wasn't familiar with garnishes like piquillo peppers, rutabaga, honshimeji, kumquat, and other exotic mushrooms.

The dinner passed miraculously smooth. When it came to desserts, Aro ordered everything on the menu so that Bella could try a little of everything. He even purchased several boxes of Fran's gray salt caramel for her to take back to Forks.

On the ride back to the hotel, Aro promised Bella that he'd come to visit her sometime next week after she's settled in. Shocked wouldn't describe my reaction. Even Dad's jaw dropped. In all the years we've lived in Forks, Aro rarely visited us. I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all. He was definitely mesmerized with Bella. Dad now had a permanent scowl on his face. He was probably pissed that after all these years of Mom begging Aro to visit her in Forks, he always had an excuse.

Dad stepped in and suggested Aro to come later, since Bella would be starting summer school in a few weeks, and she'd need to settle in first. Aro frowned, but looked like he understood. "I see. That would not be good. I shall come see you after you are done with school. We have lots to discuss about. The application deadline for autumn at University of Washington is over, but you can still make it for the winter term." Bella smiled and nodded courteously. She probably wasn't even decided on whether she wanted to attend UW or not.

A/N

I hope you liked the chapter. In the next chapter Bella will be in Forks. Relax while you can, it's the calm before the storm.

Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on this chapter!