Just a short note to say thanks for pushing this story to over 100 favourite's and reviews. You are truly awesome readers. Any questions about the explanations in this chapter drop me a review and I will reply. Thanks again, Lil'D.

xxxxxx

When the two vampires returned to the house they went straight upstairs, Rosalie went to her room to shower and Bella tagged along as neither of them really felt like being alone. The days spent together whilst Bella was dealing with the loss of Alice had instilled a familiarity between them that left an almost tangible feeling of -? Of what neither could define but after their intense conversation outside they tacitly agreed to spend the evening together.

As Rose showered, Bella lay on the large couch in the blonde's room after kicking off her shoes. She was not comfortable enough with their new friendship to presume to lounge on the bed, not wanting to derail Rosalie's acceptance of her presence by being too comfortable on her territory. The newborn closed her eyes and thought over the extreme day she had had. First fighting Kate, then the blonde's discovery of her bond with Alice and following conversation, a successful hunt then her exhausting but cathartic conversation with Rose. Bella huffed, blowing a lock of hair out of her face

"Fuck my life," she groaned to herself as she lay there contemplating what the next day may hold. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the shower shut off and the bathroom door open then close until drops of water hit her face.

"Arrgh!" Bella jumped to her feet, scrubbing her skin with her hand to remove the offending liquid.

"Oh Bella," Rose purred, "you need to work on this whole 'vampire senses' thing. "Honestly, a heard of elephants could have walked through here and you would have been oblivious," she teased. Seeing Bella so relaxed and out of it she would have sworn she was sleeping if she hadn't known that was impossible. So, she did what any self respecting vampire would have done and pranked her friend. It would have been unreasonable not to, she reasoned with a chuckle as she was faced with an angry little newborn.

"Oooh, is the baby vampire pissed?" Rose cooed, reaching out to pinch the brunette's cheek only to have her wrist caught in Bella's grasp. Bella squeezed the captured wrist, using her superior strength to tighten her hold until the blonde squirmed.

"Be-lla!" Rose whined as she realised she was outmatched. "Let me go, please?" She pouted, one which always worked on Emmett and to her surprise Bella blinked once and immediately dropped her arm.

"Sorry," the newborn mumbled, another non blush occurring as she dropped her eyes and toed the carpet nervously.

"Oh, grow some balls Bella," the blonde rolled her eyes as she smirked, "you're too easy." Bella watched as her friend went to the large mirror and expertly drew her still damp hair up into a messy pony and tied it off, She was wearing a tight, white ribbed tank top that clung to her curves and sweat pants that rode extremely low on her hipbones and Bella's eyes raked over her body before she could stop herself. When she realised what she was doing she looked away.

"It's Ok," Rose spoke up, making the brunette jump and turn her eyes back to her friend's golden ones. "I'm hot," she winked and smiled at the newborn's discomfort. "I'd be more concerned if you didn't look. Besides, it's not as though you can hide it, Bella." Her friend looked confused for a second until Rose nodded towards the brunettes crotch and Bella's eyes widened as she took an experimental sniff.

"Oh my god!" She groaned loudly.

"It's Ok," Rose chuckled at the mortified expression on her friend's face. "At least you have control, a normal newborn would have tried to jump me already! It's all instincts and hormone's Bella, don't worry about it, we've all been through it. For some it just gets worse with age!" She added, raising her voice a little.

"I heard that!" Kate called from somewhere in the house and Bella smiled but was still uncomfortable.

"Go get changed and I'll come through in a minute," Rose urged the newborn who nodded and left the room , giving both vampires time to regroup. Rose wasn't freaked out by Bella's reaction, she was in fact so used to smelling the arousal her presence caused in both humans and vampires it was no big deal, just a fact of life for her now. But, she mused, Bella had no idea how attractive she herself was. After giving her friend a few minutes to get changed the blonde wandered down the hallway to the newborn's room, knocking lightly before entering.

"Hey," Bella greeted her from where she was sprawled on the bed. "What are you reading?" The brunette sheepishly revealed she was reading one of the the True Blood novels.

"Seriously, Bella?" Rose couldn't hold in her laughter. "Oh the irony," she was really laughing now as she gracefully came to sit crossed legged on the bed next to her friend. "Those vampires are pussies." She declared which made the brunette gape then burst into laughter. "I mean, they burn in daylight, turn to mush if they fall on a twig and the whole silver thing? Pathetic! Not to mention faeries? Fucking faeries? What kind of world are they living in, huh?"

Bella was laughing so hard she snorted as she rolled around on the bed and Rose watched her friend indulgently, pleased she could make her happy and distract her from the rest of the shit in her life.

"The only things that woman got right were the blood and sex," she smirked as Bella eyed her suspiciously before rolling her eyes and placing her book down on the table next to the bed.

"I know it's ridiculous but at one point I thought vampires and werewolves were fiction."

"Uh, huh, at least Underworld has it more or less right. Hot sexy vampire versus stinky rabid dogs."

"Hey!" Bella reacted to the teasing just as Rose had anticipated. "Jake's not a mutt, he's my friend."

"Yeah?" The blonde questioned softly, "don't be too sure Bella, things change." She reminded the brunette softly, realising her words were harsh but also that Bella needed to be prepared for the worst and that Jacob may reject her.

"I know, I know," Bella huffed and rolled onto her back and Rose made herself comfortable next to her, both their heads laying on the pillows side by side.

"It'll be Ok," Rose once again running her fingers through the newborn's hair to sooth her, she didn't flinch when Bella curled up and snuggled into the side of her body, finally relaxing as they lay quietly together.

They spent the night like that, soft murmurs of conversation occasionally breaking the silence but they were mostly quiet, their vampire bodies quite content to lie there, enjoying the companionship.

Nights were always hardest for Bella, the bond always seemed it's strongest during the dark hours and when she voiced this to Rose the blonde silently vowed to ask Kate about why that may be. But the newborn found passing the night easier with Rose, she found the blonde's presence calming and it wasn't until dawn broke that they ventured downstairs.

Tanya looked up as the younger vampires appeared. Rose nodded a greeting but Bella stayed silent and looked anxiously around the living area.

"Kate's gone into town, she'll be back soon." Bella nodded, unsure if she was to be subject to more training today.

"Sorry, I don't know what she has planned for you today but we can talk, if you want?" Tanya waited for a reply but neither of the young ones was feeling conversational. They disappeared back up the stairs, deciding to read for a while then reappeared later that morning when Bella had finished her book.

xxxxx

"What's that noise?" Rosalie's head jerked up as she heard a sound she didn't recognise coming from behind the house.

"Oh, that's just Kate," Tanya answered without looking up from the newspaper she was reading. Despite her vampire life she liked to keep abreast on global politics and more local events to ensure the security of her coven.

"What the hell is she doing?" Rose was curious and craned her neck to look out of the large wall of windows that opened onto the back of the property.

"Go check it out, she's in the barn. Take Bella with you," Tanya gestured to the newborn who was supposedly reading a magazine but hadn't turned the page for at least twenty minutes.

"Bella up!" Rosalie was less than polite but it took a lot to get the newborn moving at the moment, she still existed in a state of lethargy but at least she wasn't comatose any more

"Come on, or I'll force you to watch Real Housewives," she taunted her friend who finally heaved herself off the couch, for a vampire she was extremely moribund at times. Rose waited by the back door for her friend to catch up as she slouched along with no enthusiasm whatsoever, then led the way to the large barn that sat around 100 meters from the house.

Rosalie had always assumed it held the coven's additional vehicles that weren't used regularly and kept in the garage adjacent to the house. She was partially right, as they entered by a small side door she spotted several quads and trail bikes, there was even a twenty footer yacht in dry dock there but it was what she saw beyond that that astounded her.

"Hi," Kate greeted the new arrivals with a smile, dressed in her usual loose jeans and tight t-shirt combo, on her feet were skate shoes, a common choice for the laid back vampire. She'd been wondering how long it would take before curiosity had gotten the better of the younger blonde. The fact that she had dragged Bella along was a bonus.

"Hi, this is amazing," Rosalie murmured as she looked around the huge space which had been turned into an indoor skate park, vampire style. Every bowl and ramp was far more extreme than any human park Rose had come across. "But why?" She turned her question to Kate.

"Why not?" The older vampire smirked. "It's fun and more difficult than you would think." Kate turned a quick glance to Bella and was pleased to see a tiny spark of interest in her eye. "I'd suggest you have a go bare feet will be fine," she pointed to Rose's feet which were already bare, the young blonde never really bothering with shoes around the house.

"Ok," Rose shrugged, willing to give anything new a go, just to add something to her usually mundane life.

"Here," Kate handed her a board, "try the small ramp first, get a feel for the movement before you try any jumps. Bella?" Kate offered the brunette a board but she shook her head in refusal and wandered off to sit on the edge of one of the higher ramps. "Ok, but it's fun, you're missing out," she called as she jumped onto her own board and pushed off, her vampire strength giving her incredible momentum as she hit the first ramp, leaping fifteen feet into the air and performing a triple spin of the board before landing.

Wow, Rosalie thought as she watched Kate fly through the air, admiring her grace and control. Rose had already mastered the required movement to push off but not yet the correct force to apply to not plough straight through the barn wall. As she played around she could feel Bella's eyes on her, tracking her every move and she smiled to herself, pleased the newborn was showing an interest. She suspected that this had been a ploy to drag Bella out of the house but she was happy to play along as it did seem to be working. Bella's attention had switched to Kate who's aerial acrobatics were truly inhuman.

"How long did it take you to get that good?" Rosalie questioned the flying blonde.

"A few months, I used to sneak into the parks in the city during the night but they weren't much of a challenge so I built this, undercover so we can use it year round," Kate explained without stopping her skating. "Ready to try a jump?" Rose nodded, having gotten a good feel of the motions required. Kate gave her a quick demonstration, Rose managed to jump no problem but when she landed she completely smashed the board into smithereens which had Kate howling with laughter.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" Rose huffed indignantly as she kicked at the splintered wood with her bare toes. "It's not funny Swan!" She growled at the newborn who was watching the proceedings with the smallest hint of a smile. "I bet you can't do it!" She continued grumpily. Bella just shrugged but stayed silent. "I bet you a Real Housewives free week that I can make a jump before you do." Bella mentally reviewed the challenge, debating whether the prize was worth it. She really hated that fucking show and if she admitted it, it did look kind of fun. She'd never even dreamed of going near a board in her human life due to the trouble she had just walking but it had always looked kinda fun.

"Two weeks," she called out in response to Rose's challenge which the younger blonde vampire rewarded with one of her rare, genuine smiles. Both Bella and Kate blinked, slightly dazzled by it's beauty but Rose recalled their attention to the conversation with her counter-offer.

"Done! And if I win -. " Rose paused, trying to think of a worthwhile prize. "You'll let me teach you to fight," she said with finality and Kate nodded her approval at the suggestion. Rose was an excellent fighter considering her age, she had a tenacity that conquered most vampire's fighting styles.

"Sounds good. Bella?" Kate sped to get a spare board and was holding it out for Bella who slowly made her way over to them. "Now to be fair Bella gets ten minutes warm up time then it's on!" Kate dropped the challenge. Bella quickly got the feel of the board and was trying to calculate the force she could exert without breaking it, she'd learned from Rosalie's mistake and was keen to win the bet.

"Ok, time's up, Rose you're on." Kate watched the proceedings with interest. Rose was very much one to have a go and work it through but she could see Bella was a thinker the way she kept testing the strength and flexibility of the wooden board without pushing it to breaking point.

About fifteen minutes through the session Rose had broken five boards and Bella two. Both young vampires were having fun, Rose was surreptitiously watching the newborn and was entranced by the cute frown of frustration on her face and the tongue peeking out between her teeth as she focused on the task. A quick glance at Kate received an almost imperceptible nod, she had been right, this whole thing had been a set up to entice Bella out of her shell and it seemed to be working.

"It's impossible." Bella's words caused both her companions to give her their full attention. "There is no way you can do those jumps on these boards," she gestured towards the more advanced section of the park and Kate laughed.

"You're right, and smart," she praised the newborn. "But you need to learn on those before you can get your hands on one of these," she tapped her own board with her foot. Rose frowned in confusion.

"Why? What's the difference? " She knew nothing about skating so didn't have a clue about what Bella was talking about.

"Bella's correct in thinking that the normal wooden boards can't cope with the stress of my jumps. It took me a while to figure it out but I added a kevlar layer to the centre of the board and use a similar mix in the wheels. It gives it enough strength whilst still being flexible enough," she explained smugly. "I make the boards myself. No-one skates like a vampire!"

"So why the hell are we using these pieces of crap then?" Rose growled at the older blonde.

"Because, you ungrateful wench," Kate glared at rose who had the decency to look sheepish, "it teaches you control, once you've mastered that everything else is easy. And, it is still possible to break these and I don't want to spend hours making them just for some clumsy amateur to smash them all up for me." Rose grunted, it made sense she supposed but it was still frustrating.

"I think I got it!" Bella announced before pushing off and executing a perfect jump much to Rosalie's utter disgust.

"That is so not fair!" She growled and kicked her own board in a pique of anger.

"Hey, calm the fuck down. It won't take you long to learn and it's worth it, there isn't a feeling like it," Kate reassured her with a smile and continued watching Bella who was continuing to practice. "When you can manage that jump," she pointed to a ramp slightly larger than the one they were working on, "then you can have one of my boards." The newborn nodded and pushed off for another run.

"Good plan," Rosalie whispered to Kate who smiled.

"Uh, huh," was all she said in response as both blondes continued to watch Bella.

"She'll feel better if she gets moving," Rose murmured.

"That was the plan," Kate's response was so low it was almost a hum, "you're really helping too," she praised her companion who just shrugged at the compliment.

Silence fell but Kate could see Rosalie watching Bella intently, cataloguing her movements. She liked Rose, she really did and it was great to be able to spend more time with her. She had always suspected there was a darker, deeper edge to the younger vampire. She was always the first to question Carlisle, especially regarding his blatant favouritism of Edward and Kate respected a woman who spoke her mind.

The fact that she was stunningly attractive hadn't escaped her notice either but the time they had spent together had always been family time and there had been little time to get her alone. But, Kate hoped that this visit would change that. As for Bella, Kate liked her, a lot and was pleased that Bella seemed relatively relaxed around her. She suspected it was because she was generally laid back and had adopted the more casual clothing of the time, not the designer gear favoured by the Cullen's, she was accessible to the newborn who was barely into adulthood herself.

Bella's first attempt at the higher ramp ended with a wipe-out as she purposely missed the board on her landing to avoid smashing it.

"Good try," Kate's applause startled her but she flashed her audience a brief smile before making another attempt.

"Fuck!" She growled as she broke the board clean in two as she landed her next jump.

"It's Ok, want to take a break?" Kate offered but Bella shook her head.

"I'm fine," the newborn replied, "this is kinda fun," she admitted shyly.

"I love it, when you get better I'll teach you some tricks and maybe try it with a BMX?" Bella's eyes lit up with surprise.

"You have bikes too?"

"Yeah, and motocross, there's a course out the back with a few jumps on it but we can't really run it right now, it's too wet," Kate explained as she took in the brunette's enthusiasm. It had been the most positive emotion she'd observed in Bella since they'd met and the nudge she received from Rosalie reinforced her opinion. Bella was actually having fun and it was taking her mind off the pain she was still experiencing due to her separation from Alice.

Bella spent the next few hours practising with Rose and Kate, their host offering pointers as they steadily improved.

"Enough for today!" Kate announced.

"Come with me," Kate gestured for Rose and Bella to follow her back into the house and they did, eventually ending up in Kate's study.

"So, bonds?" She took a seat on the rug in front of the unused fireplace and gestured for the younger vampires to do the same. When Rose and Bella had made themselves comfortable Kate smiled and looked them both over. Bella was anxiously biting her lip and looked nervous as she fidgeted with her fingers, Rose had her usual blank expression but Kate detected a hint of curiosity in her golden eyes.

"Firstly, I'm going to explain the basics. As you probably know Tanya, Irina and I were created by the same vampire," and her companions nodded, this was common knowledge. "She was a distant relative of Tanya's but neither Irina or I were related to her in any way." Bella's eyes widened at the information but it was something already known to Rose. "She also taught us the art of the Succubi which is basically the manipulation of the victims sexual chi to enhance the feeding experience." Bella frowned when she heard that but Rose was already aware of the fact due to Kate's earlier explanation.

"But, although that is the way we were taught it can also be used to enhance sexual pleasure between consenting partners, be used to manipulate an unconsenting partner or victim and sense and manipulate existing bonds. All in all it's a very powerful gift and as far as I am aware it is known only to me and my sisters."

"Because of that I do not need to explain that it is a very powerful skill I will be teaching you both?" Rose nodded curtly and Bella blinked, more than a little cautious and confused as to why Kate would want to teach her.

"Um, why me? I get Rose cuz she's all beautiful and scary, sorry." Bella apologised as she saw the look Rose was giving her and Kate was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Scary?" Rose queried with an arched brow. "You don't need to be scared of me Bella," she confirmed softly, a little hurt that the newborn viewed her that way but she hid it well, even so Kate picked up on the flicker of uncertainty in the younger blonde's golden eyes.

"I know, and I'm not, not now but I was. Very scared." Bella rambled as the other vampires watched in amusement. "You're scary Rose," she ended with an emphatic nod that both blonde's thought was extremely cute.

"Ok, so now that we've established that Rose is scary it's also because I trust her not to abuse the power, it could do a lot of harm in the wrong hands," Kate warned with a growl. "As to why I chose you, young Bella, it is because both Tanya and I sense a lot of potential in you and we would like to gift this to you, just as we are Rosalie." Bella was stunned that they thought so much of her, she was nothing compared to their beauty and strength. "And, even though you don't see it you are extremely beautiful, true beauty is internal as well as external and you have both, Bella." Rose hummed her agreement and reached out, briefly clasping Bella's hand in hers and releasing it before Bella had barely registered the contact.

"Um, Ok." The brunette dipped her head and was once again chewing on her lip but Kate took her silence as acceptance and continued.

"So, when I touched you both the other day I extended my chi into yours and learned of the bonds you hold with others. As this is a sexual energy there are always side effects of doing so," she smirked as Bella squirmed and Rose retained an indifferent expression even though she had been shaken by the encounter. "It can also be used to project love, anger, hate, basically any strong emotion can be manipulated, even to the extent of causing a victim physical pain which is useful for defence." Kate studied each of her students, they were both curious and absorbing her words, Rose frowning slightly but very engaged.

"Now, I can do it by touching any part of your skin with any part of mine, but my way is more fun," Kate smirked again. "However, the scars are the best place to start as they are most receptive but if you had no scars then certain areas of the body are more susceptible to my touch. Hold out your hands," both younger vampires did with some trepidation, exchanging a look before doing as they were asked.

"Now, this is what happens if I touch your hand." Both vampires experienced a flush of heat and arousal but nothing incapacitating although the contact was fleeting. But Bella thought that prolonged contact could get intense and maybe not in a good way, depending on what Kate wanted to achieve. "That was me using my full power." She released their hands and sat back for a second.

"Ready for the next demonstration? Rose's nod was strong but Bella seemed a little reluctant, only giving her permission when she saw her friend acquiesce.

"So, just to warn you this is going to be full power, through your scars and it may be a little overwhelming but you need to trust me. I'll show you what it's like but then I will immediately stop, it's going to be stronger than what I did to you both the other day. Just go with it, Ok?" Both younger vampires nodded, nervous now Kate had explained what she was going to do. She reached out to touch their scars with her fingertips, Rose held steady but Bella flinched at the contact but didn't move away.

"Ready?" Two nods and then she hit them with her power.

A rush of heat flooded through their veins and both young vampires fell back, spines arched as unprecedented pleasure ripped through them. As they fell Kate's contact broke but the sensations continued. Rose felt a tremor travel through her body and then an explosion in her clit as she came. She lay there panting, unneeded breath coming in gasps before she jerked upright, her first instinct to check if Bella was Ok. The brunette was laying there, eyes rolled back in her head as her body gave one last spasm before lying still.

"Bella!" Rose scrambled ungracefully to her knees and leaned over the newborn's prone body, anxiously checking her for any visible signs of damage.

"Give her a minute, she's obviously extremely sensitive, she's Ok," Kate spoke, softly and her voice calmed Rosalie who withheld the snarl she was about to direct at the ancient. Kate watched the younger blonde as she hovered worriedly over the newborn, golden eyes anxiously seeking reassurance that her friend was unharmed.

Bella lay there, totally in shock over what she had experienced. Sex with Alice had been nothing compared to that. That all encompassing white-out of feelings so intense she could not even categorise them. She knew she had cum and cum so hard she could barely move.

"Bella?" Rose reached out a tentative hand to stroke a lock of hair off the newborns face. "Bella?" There was still no response. "What the fuck did you do?" Rose snarled, this time she did round on Kate, eyes black and fangs extended.

"Rose?" The newborn croaked, finally able to speak.

"Hey, you Ok there?" Kate watched as Rosalie tentatively reached out to touch Bella's face before hesitating and drawing her hand back.

"Rose?" Bella's voice startled the blonde and this time she made contact with the newborn's cheek.

"I'm here Bella," Rose reached down and clasped the brunette's hand in hers.

"Do I have to move? I can't feel my legs," the youngest vampire groaned. "Kate, I think you killed me." Rose released an almost hysterical bark of laughter when she saw that her friend really was alright.

"It's Ok, I've got you. Come on, sit up." Bella groaned but allowed Rose to help her into a sitting position then collapsed against the blonde who looked a little stunned at the action but never the less moved to accommodate the brunette who was now propped against her side.

"So, lesson learned ladies." Kate finally spoke up now that her students had recovered. "Hey, I warned you." She wasn't gloating but she had given them a fair warning about what to expect. "And that was just a touch, imagine the damage you can do with prolonged contact, pleasure can quickly turn to pain with a little tweaking. But, I guess a little pain never hurt anyone." Rose was silent as she contemplated Kate's words, she could see how such a power could easily be corrupted.

"That was -." Bella was literally lost for words.

"Intense," Rosalie finished, her narrowed eyes assessing their host. "That was intense," the two blonde's locked eyes but Rose didn't back down despite Kate's dominance of the group. The younger blonde knew there was more to what had just happened than Kate was sharing with them.

The ancient stared back and admired how perceptive Rosalie was, but it wasn't time to reveal all her secrets, just yet.

"How was that for you, Bella?" Kate queried politely and the newborn pressed closer to her friend.

"Good, but maybe a little too much?" She wasn't sure herself but she didn't like feeling so out of control. Kate nodded in understanding.

"Like I said, I gave you a taste of the full power and it can be both overwhelming and invasive." She paused. "But, unless I need to protect myself I have very rarely used it to it's full potential. Prolonged exposure can leave a human comatose or even dead, the heart fails. And, incapacitate a vampire, leaving them in a similar state as Bella, conscious but unable to function for up to several hours. Enough time to make an escape if necessary." She finished on a serious note before leaning back on her hands to study her companions reactions to her words. They were quiet and thoughtful and the ancient wondered if that had been enough for their first session, she knew how much it could take out of ones-self to experience her power first hand.

"Why -," Rose cleared her throat, an uncharacteristic show of weakness from the blonde. "Why did it affect Bella more than I?" Kate had expected that question but maybe not from Rosalie but it did seem that she was more concerned about Bella's reaction than her own.

"I believe it was for two reasons," Bella's eyes were fixed on her as she spoke. "Firstly because she has recently bonded and changed."

"Makes sense," Rose murmured and wove her hand protectively around Bella's waist as the thought of Alice made her whimper. Kate took note of the action but continued.

"Secondly -." She paused, wondering how much to say. "Secondly, because she is inexperienced and that made her more susceptible." Rose's eyes flicked to Kate's as the ancient finished speaking, a brief tightening of her hold on the brunette indicating her dissatisfaction with that assessment, she had a feeling that their host was not being completely honest and she did not like it. It made her feel vulnerable and how could she protect Bella without the complete picture?

"I don't accept that," Rose snapped and Kate was surprised by the force behind her words. Bella pulled away and looked at her friend with concern as she registered the harsh words. "I need one hundred percent honesty Kate or I will leave and take Bella with me."

"Rose?" The newborn was worried now, kneeling up and turning to face her friend then looking between the two blondes.

"Kate?" Rose ground out, her lips curling in a part snarl. Kate sighed and looked at her two students, she didn't want to hide anything from them but some things were best left unsaid until one could fully comprehend them.

"Ok, you asked, so I will tell you." Rose narrowed her eyes but didn't back down, awaiting an explanation from her mentor. "A very strong bond exists between you both, what one feels the other may experience in the form of a back-lash. As Bella was the weaker vampire it was she who suffered. Rose, even though Bella is a natural shield you have more control over your shields when compromised. Bella can develop that with time and training. It only occurred because I was in contact with you both simultaneously, had I touched you in turn that would not have happened." Kate sighed before continuing. "It makes you very strong together but can also make you weak. If one of you is attacked then the other could suffer but if you can bond your chi then your combined strength will increase ten-fold rather than double. It's what exists between Tanya, Irina and myself, together we are infinitely more powerful than alone."

"So, like sisters?" Bella questioned as she grasped the concept.

"It's one form the bond can take," Kate replied, noticing that her explanation seemed to have appeased Rosalie. The blonde was now looking thoughtful rather than accusatory. "It also means that I will be able to teach you, you share a natural bond with each other and this means you will also be capable of manipulating the chi of others, with training." She paused and looked over her charges who were obviously still a little shaken. "I suspected you would have the gift but I'm pleased to be proven right." Another pause as she smiled at them. "I think that's enough for today. Next time I will show you how to connect with your chi and learn to control it before I teach you how to use it."

"Ok, thanks," Bella smiled and nudged Rose with her shoulder. "C'mon, I'm hungry." She proclaimed, her announcement causing an eye roll from the blonde.

"Tanya will take you Bella, it's unlikely you will ever encounter a human out here but there's always a chance. Rose? Do you wish to accompany them?" Rosalie shook her head, she needed some time alone to think and she suspected Kate knew that.

"No, but Bella, try not to get covered in blood again or I will make you sit down and order some new clothes on-line tomorrow." The newborn huffed and emitted a small growl which earned her a smack on the back of the head from the blonde.

"Rose!" She whined. "I'm not Emmett." Rose snorted.

"Well behave then!" Another huff from the brunette before she rolled her eyes and mumbled a promise to at least try not to make too much mess.

"It's not my fault if they struggle." The newborn complained.

"Well, you're not doing it right then, maybe Tanya can teach you some table manners!" Rose bitched and Kate sat back, chuckling as they bickered back and forth as they went in search of her sister.

Xxxx

Next on Crimson Bonds

"Ok, oh awesome one. What's the lesson for tomorrow?"

"I need to teach them to centre their chi," Tanya nodded.

"I don't think it will be hard for Rose, she already has control over every aspect of herself," Kate reasoned.

"Except where Bella is concerned, that little newborn has gotten right under her skin. In a good way." Tanya mused as she placed her book down.

"Yeah, but you know there's more to it. Right?" Kate queried as she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.