A/N: For those who're reading this chapter for the first time, enjoy. For those getting a notice regarding the chapter being updated - I forgot a section about Didyme that was a tidbit crucial to her past. So, yeah. Went back and added that. Anyways, Enjoy.
"You 'should have called?' You should never have left! Where are you!?"
"I'm here…"
"Where are you, Bella?"
"I can't say…"
Her father had sounded so concerned…so tired…so old. And what did she do? Nothing. She couldn't tell him where she was. She couldn't give him an answer as to when she would be back. She had even done a poor job at reassuring her father that she would be okay.
"I don't really have much say now…do I?"
"I'm sorry, Charlie."
'I'm sorry'. That's what she had said to her father when all he wanted was for her to return home, safe and sound. I'm sorry. And she was. She should never have gotten on that plane. She should never have jumped off that cliff. She should never have gone to the field. She should never have found those bikes. She should never have met the Cullens. At least then, then she could be with her father.
Lost in the thoughts of the phone call, it took Bella a few moments to realize that someone was calling her name.
"Bella?"
"Bella."
"Bella."
Finally registering the sound of another's presence inside her head, Bella glanced up to see that all three of the Volturi women had moved to stand beside the desk. Still in an internal trance, Bella simply stared sullenly at the women.
Understanding that Bella wasn't going to move without help, Sulpicia uncurled Bella's fingers from the phone. Removing the device, she set it upon the desk before extending her hand to Bella. "Come," the brunette ordered softly.
As if another force was operating her body, Bella watched as her hand rose off the armrest to slip into the icy hold. From there, Bella felt her body rise as the older woman assisted her to her feet. Instead of getting her hand back, however, Bella looked down to watch as slender fingers laced with hers to lead her to one of the large, plush chairs beside the window. As her hand was released, Bella pivoted and dropped robotically into the unoccupied seat.
Instead of speaking, Bella sat there silently in the sunshine and watched, without really seeing, as all three women settled back into their previous places. Turning her head after a moment, Bella gazed blindly out the glass beside her and allowed the hypnotic sway of the trees to lull her tormented thoughts.
Rather than force Bella to speak about what had occurred or demand what was on her mind, the Queens simply resumed their previous tasks and allowed a comforting silence to blanket the room.
It was nice, in a way. Rather than hover over, like the Cullens would have done, Bella was allowed time to just reside inside her mind. As the minutes slowly rolled into an hour, and then two, Bella finally moved; the kinks in her body had become evident from sitting for so long without moving.
Rolling her head to crack her neck, Bella shifted in her seat to give her body a bit of relief. It was then that her eyes fell upon Didyme and the object in her lap. Staring for a few more minutes at the contraption of various colors and texture of cloth, Bella finally realized that the vampire was making a dress. What surprised her more was to note that it wasn't completed at a vampire speed, but rather at a pace that she, as a human, could maintain.
"What-" Feeling her voice crack after being unused for the past couple of hours, Bella cleared her throat before trying again. "What are you making?"
Glancing up, Didyme hid the smile that threatened to escape at the sound of Bella's curiosity. "A dress, me amore." Finishing the stitch, Didyme held it up for Bella to see.
Even though it wasn't finished, Bella couldn't help but admire the deep crimson Victorian gown. Graced with lighter streaks of reds and sharp swirling blacks, the contrasting designs complimented the long, one shoulder dress. Upon the chest and the shoulder, Bella took note of the roses that were carefully being stitched into the fabric.
"It's beautiful," Bella whispered. And it was. She had never cared for clothes before, especially the numerous of times that Alice had dragged her out shopping. But, even she could admit to its beauty.
"Why, thank you," Didyme responded, finally allowing her smile to escape. "Would you mind giving me a hand?" Didyme asked after a second.
Baffled, Bella simply blinked. She didn't know how to sew and she certainly did not want to ruin such a masterpiece. "Um…"
"I just need you to stand and be my model so I can make some adjustments," Didyme quickly explained, her crimson eyes dancing in amusement at Bella's reluctance.
"Oh. Okay." That wasn't too difficult, and the Queens had been nice to her, what with letting her make the call. It was the least she could do to show her appreciation.
Rising to her feet, Bella shifted awkwardly as she became uncertain as to the exact specifics the vampire wanted her to do.
"Come over here, dear," Didyme directed. Taking Bella's hand, she moved Bella away from her seat and guided her to a small changing area on the other side of the room. "I'm going to have you put this on," Didyme explained. "You can use this divider to change behind. Just call if you need help." With that, Didyme set the dress down on a chair and closed the divider so Bella could have some privacy.
Confused, Bella simply stood there as she stared at the dress for a moment. The luxurious material sat there, staring at Bella in return as if daring her to touch it. After a few more minutes, Bella reluctantly kicked off her shoes before slipping out of her jeans and hoodie. Folding them, she rested them on the floor beside the chair, then quickly added her shirt and socks. Wiggling her bare toes into the wood floor as she stood in her undergarments, Bella reluctantly turned and picked up the dress.
Turning the contraption this way and that, Bella eyed the fabric for a moment while deciding on the best way to put it on. Noticing that the dress had a zipper in the back, Bella decided to just step into the gown as if it was a pair of pants and simply lift it up and over her skimpily clad frame. Shifting it over her shoulder to hold the gown up, Bella tried to reach behind for the zipper. Try as she might, however, Bella could only get it to zip part way.
"Didyme?" Bella called after she realized she would need help, despite her best efforts.
Turning at the sound of the divider moving, Bella felt a blush rise to her cheeks as the Queen froze and simply stared, crimson orbs locking upon the girl.
Growing a bit self-conscious as Didyme remained unmoving for more than a minute, Bella finally shifted awkwardly. "Um, I needed help with the zipper," Bella murmured before turning around to show the woman.
Moving forward slowly, as if in a trance, Didyme stopped behind Bella and waited patiently as the woman reached up to move her hair to the side and over her bare shoulder. With her back suddenly exposed, Didyme unconsciously took another step closer as her hand rose to allow her fingertips to softly graze over the warm flesh. Feeling a shiver rack across Bella's torso, Didyme did it again. This time, however, the noirette woman trailed her fingers up over the girl's shoulder to her neck to trace the pulsating carotid artery. In turn, Didyme allowed her other hand to grip hold of Bella's hip in a gentle grasp.
Realizing the predicament she was suddenly in, Bella stiffened. Feeling her heart hammer in her chest, Bella mind became almost frantic as she felt Didyme's lithe frame press against her from behind. Torn on what the vampire was about to do, multiple courses of action went through Bella's mind: Did she try to run? Would Sulpicia and Athenodora help her? Or would they simply join in on the soon-to-be-bath? Should she just stand still and wait for Didyme to finish? What was she going to do? Touch her? Bite her? Turn her?
As lips replaced fingertips, Bella's decision was made for her. Not expecting the sensual sensation that coursed through her body, she lurched forward in an effort to escape. Expecting to be restrained for one reason or another, Bella was surprised when she was able to break free, unharmed and unpursued.
Swirling around, no longer comfortable with leaving her back exposed to the vampire, Bella was met with her second surprise. Blinking in confusion, Bella stared at Didyme's eyes. They were still bright red, not the ebony she had come to associate with hungry vampires.
"…How?" Bella asked, unable to help herself. If any of the Cullens had been that close, she would be dead by now. Edward had a hard enough time hugging her and letting her cuddle with him at night without having to feed first thing once she fell asleep.
"You were never in any danger," Didyme reassured softly as she moved closer. "You were just too enticing to resist not touching you, especially after seeing you in this dress. I'm sorry for scaring you," Didyme apologized. "Please, if you'll turn around I'll zip you up."
Hesitating, Bella ignored the blush that appeared at the woman's remark. Didyme was right, though. Despite being scared, Bella realized she hadn't been afraid as the various thoughts ran through her head. After a moment, Bella turned around.
True to her word, Didyme simply zipped up the back of the dress before backing out of the enclosed space. "Come, let the other see."
Balking at the thought of Athenodora and Sulpicia seeing her in the dress, Bella froze. "Do we have to?"
Chuckling as Bella quickly forgot her earlier fear, Didyme moved closer. "It's okay. If you'd like, I can have them close their eyes. However, I do need you to come out so I can make some adjustments.
Reluctantly, Bella left the shelter of the divider and shuffled back over to her seat. Before she could get too far, however, she was stopped by Didyme to stand still so she could make the needed adjustments.
Rocking on her bare feet, Bella glanced at the other two ancients and was rather amused to see that they had indeed closed their eyes. Whereas Athenodora simply reclined in her seat with her eyes closed, almost as if she had fallen asleep, Bella couldn't help but grin at the sight of Sulpicia sitting with her hands firmly over her eyes. Turning her attention back to the woman at hand, Bella watched as the vampire took her time altering the dress. As the minutes ticked by, Bella shifted restlessly in the silence before opening her mouth.
"Didyme?"
"Yes, dear?" the vampire responded, her voice altered by the pins held between her lips.
"If you're one of the Queen of all the vampires, why don't you have someone else make the dress?"
Removing the last of the pin from her lips to place it in the desired spot, Didyme finally sat back on her heels and glanced up at Bella from a crouched position. "As vampires, we have hours upon years to kill," Didyme responded. "Why should I pass off a task that is so simple and useful?"
"Well," Bella began before pausing. As she thought of her reasoning, she wondered if it was actually as logical sounding out loud as it had been in her head moments ago. Realizing she had already begun, Bella pushed through with her response. "Surely you have other, more important things to do."
"Be as it may," Didyme agreed, "it is still a hobby that I enjoy, and more so, consider relaxing," Didyme explained before dipping her head so she could make an adjustment. "Plus…it's one that connects me to my past," Didyme murmured quietly, thinking back to before she was changed.
Long ago, roughly around 1300 B.C., she had just been a simple, happy, seamstress who had fallen in love. It was there, while working in a noble's home that she had met her future fiancé. It didn't take long before the two had fallen in love and he had proposed to her. Didyme couldn't have been happier. She had a profession she was passionate about, a fiancé who was heads-over-heels for her, and a family that loved her; she was very content with life.
Unfortunately, her bout of happiness would quickly end one fateful night. Changed by a rouge vampire, Di eventually woke to discover an unquenchable thirst. It wasn't until her thirst was satisfied that Didyme realized what she had done, or more so, what her master had done.
Having stalked Didyme for a time and fallen in love with her, the vampire had decided to eliminate the threat of her fiancé changing as well and stealing his potential mate. Instead of killing him himself, the twisted soul had decided to tie the fiancé up and leave him as a gift to his bride-to-be. In Didyme's newborn, thirst-craved state of mind, Didyme had ripped the poor man to shreds.
"Didyme?" Bella called again, brows furrowing in concern at the woman's far off expression.
Without the superior hearing of a vampire, Bella had nearly missed the last point to Didyme's reasoning. However, as the words, and especially the sadness that laced the woman's voice, processed, Bella stopped squirming and stared down at the top of the noirette scalp. When the woman sat unnervingly still, Bella had begun to call out the woman's name.
"Didyme?" Bella tried for the fourth time.
"Yes, dear?" Didyme finally replied, blinking once, twice.
Staring down into the dull crimson orbs as Didyme tilted her head up, Bella couldn't help but reach down and lightly cup the woman's face in the palm of her hand. Feeling the corner of her lips tug at the corners when the woman nuzzled her cold, marble cheek into the warmth, Bella brushed her thumb over the soft skin.
"Don't be sad," Bella finally whispered.
"I'm not," Didyme promised.
About to respond, Bella jerked her head up as two throats were cleared simultaneously. Forgetting that the other two vampires were in the room, Bella blushed at the realization that she and Didyme had acquired an audience. In an effort to hide her growing embarrassment, Bella crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at both women.
"Oh, don't mind us, Bella," Athenodora grinned from her spot. Eyes still closed, Athenodora had shifted to cross her ankles after stretching her long legs out in front of her. In turn, the woman had also altered her position to cradle her head with her arms for a make shift pillow. Sulpicia, on the other hand, had shifted her legs to sit crossed-legged within the large cushioned seat. With her dress billowing about her lap, Sulpicia hid a giggle behind one hand while the fingers of her other parted to allow for one crimson iris to peek between. Bella couldn't help the snort that escaped as she realized the brunette looked like a little school girl with a juicy secret.
"Really, you shouldn't," Didyme sighed in agreement as she rose to her full height. "They'll never let it go if they find something to tease you with."
Shaking her head, Bella tried her best to ignore the two Cheshire grins that appeared at Didyme's remark as she was twirled about to for the ancient to get one finally look.
"There! All done. Why don't you go change and then we can show you around the place?" Didyme offered. "The garden is rather lovely this time of the year."
Glancing outside the window, Bella took in the surroundings for the first time since arriving. It was late March and the sun had come out that afternoon to shine down on the trees in the forest below. Although Bella could spot the snowcapped mountains in the distance, the budding trees connoted that the warmer season was on its way. It would be nice to get some fresh air and not feel as if she was trapped inside.
"I'd like that," Bella smiled.