~The Heart's Dilemma~
Chapter 9 ~ We Meet Again
Thoughts
Yelling
Aro's POV
It is a shame that I had to have Edward and Alice killed. It was such a waste! With abilities like theirs on the guard, I'd have been unstoppable. There was still Bella to hope for. Alice had seen that Bella would have great power. What if she is to refuse to join my guard? It will be fine. After all, I have eternity to convince her to join. No need to force her into it now. Alice's final vision greatly confuses me. Why would Bella and Jasper be holding hands on their way here? Marcus didn't sense a romantic relationship. It is all quite complicated really. I cannot seem to wrap my head around it. There are many unanswered questions. I just wish I could get into Bella's head.
"Master?" Jane asks as she enters the empty room. Marcus and Casius had gone out hunting the day before.
"Yes Jane?" I reply, looking up from the floor to look at her.
"Bella's transformation is complete, and she has hunted. She wants to speak with you." She says.
"Excellent!" I exclaim with a clap as I stand. "Bring her in." The doors to my right open and Esme walks in with three members of my guard, but this isn't where I'm looking. Bella entered last, with Carlisle standing beside her. She was dashing, of course. Her hair had grown, and the red in it had intensified. She'd grown another inch or so, and her eyes were now that stunning bright red of a newborn. This wasn't the reason I couldn't take my eyes off her though. It was the way she held herself. She did not move in the fast, flashy ways of a newborn. Her eyes did not dart, and she was standing completely upright. If I didn't know any better, I would think she was as old as Carlisle, if not a century older. I found it absolutely astounding.
"Bella dear! What was it that you wanted to talk with me about?" I asked in true curiosity.
"I need to ask you a question Aro. Is Victoria still here?" Bella inquired in her new voice. It was comparable to the whistle of a flute.
"No, she left when it was announced that you would be turned into a vampire." I replied, somewhat confused. "Is there a reason you ask?"
"It is rather hard to explain. Would it be fine if I showed you?" Bella truly had a knack for confusing me.
"How do you plan on doing that?" I asked her.
"Like this." Then she began walking up to me at a completely normal pace. The guard didn't know how to react. Either way, they left her to advance on me. When she was standing directly in front of me, she held out her hand. I was lost. She was aware that my ability did not work on her, but out of pure curiosity I touched her hand. Every thought Bella had ever thought went flying through my head, but I know that this one was the one that answered part of my question. "Victoria had gotten what she wanted… a mate for a mate. She probably didn't even know Edward was dead. Who knows, maybe she wouldn't be happy with his death. She had wanted me dead, not Edward. Maybe she would come after me still. The thought gave me the smallest bit of hope, but not enough to register to Jasper, as he and Carlisle stepped into the room. When Victoria had come with her newborn vampire army, Edward had fought to protect me. It wasn't enough though. She had brought one of the newborns with her. The newborn had been too much for Seth, and he had had to run. Edward couldn't kill the newborn and Victoria and protect me at the same time. He had made an opening for Victoria when the newborn had leaped at him. Victoria had only needed that small weakness in Edward's defenses. She had attacked me then. She had lifted me into the air and thrown me deep into the trees. I had hit my head hard on one of the trees and fallen to the ground. I had laid there for a long time before I had heard Edward and Emmett looking for me." Her thoughts continued until I was finally to the present. She spoke to me with her thoughts then.
"I want to know if she will ever be able to accept Edward's death and go on without killing me."
"I do not see her letting it go. Her mind was made up. She doesn't even know what she is going to do for the rest of her time if she does succeed in killing you." I replied out loud. Suddenly, her mind was blank to me once more.
"Thank you that is all I needed to know." Bella said.
"How were you able to let me hear your thoughts?" I questioned, even though I couldn't fathom how she would know. Once again though, Bella surprised me.
"Apparently I can lift my shield from my mind all together if I choose to do so. I can also stretch it to cover many people." Bella replied.
"You can control it? So soon?" I was astonished. Never in all my centuries had I had the privilege to witness such maturity in a newborn. "Absolutely amazing! After these events, I simply must invite you to join the Volturi again Bella. I would be honored to have you on the Guard."
"I am flattered by the invitation Aro. I really am, but I do not believe I am ready to commit to anything so soon after my mate's death." Bella replied slowly. I could tell she was not lying. It was enough just to see that she had actually considered it. I had eternity to add her to my guard.
"I understand Bella. It is great to see you finally join the vampire world." I turned to Esme next. "It was wonderful to meet you."
"Likewise Aro." Esme replied. I turned to Carlisle last.
"It was good to see you again old friend." I said sincerely. "Don't stay away so long this time!"
"Am I invited to the next Turning of the Century party?" Carlisle asked with a small grin.
"Of course, and I expect to see your whole coven here!" I replied with an exuberant laugh. "I am sorry we had to meet in this way. Hopefully next time it is by your own means."
"Goodbye Aro. Good luck keeping everyone in their place." Carlisle said with a wave as he was lead out the door. Once the doors shut I dismissed the remaining guard in the room and sat on my throne. I might have lost Edward and Alice, but Bella held such potential as a member of the Volturi. I smiled to myself as I imagined her in a dark Volturi cloak. I could see now how Edward had fallen for her. She really was remarkable. I once again imagined her in the cloak of a Volturi Guard member. Speaking of cloaks, where was mine? Then I laughed so loud it sent echoes through the castle.
"Jane darling?" I called, still laughing.
"Yes Master?" Jane replied, appearing in front of me.
"Order me a new cloak. Have them put my name on it and outline it with gold. I want it as soon as possible." I wasn't able to wipe the smile off my face.
"Right away Master." Jane said, bowing her head and disappearing out the door. I couldn't believe I had left my cloak in Forks, Washington. Well, at least I was able to get this one customized. I really wanted my name on my cloak. When Bella joined, I would get her one with her name on it too. I would be getting my new cloak within the next twenty-four hours. I still couldn't stop smiling. As Alice had taught me, the future held endless possibilities.
Jasper POV
I was trying to come up with plans of action just in case Aro wouldn't let Bella go, but the only one I could think of was to offer another vampire in return for Bella. I didn't want to do that to somebody, but I would if it came down to it. There was always Benjamin, the earth mover. His coven leader and creator was keeping him a secret from Aro, but I knew of him because Peter and Charlotte had met him passing through Egypt a decade or so back. I was pondering this when my phone rang. It was to my ear in less than a second.
"Carlisle?" I asked.
"He let us go." Carlisle replied.
"That's good, because my ideas were no good." I replied with a laugh of relief. My sister was okay. "How is she Carlisle?"
"She is doing extremely well. We are on the plane home now." He answered calmly.
"You got a private plane? What did you say to get Bella to let you spend that kind of money?" I asked.
"We are on a Continental flight. I didn't have to buy a plane."
"Then where's Bella?" I said, shocked. She couldn't be on the plane. She was a newborn. There was no way she could be in such a small space with humans. I still had trouble on long flights because of it.
"I think it would be easier if you spoke to her yourself." Carlisle suggested.
"Hand her the phone." I replied. Suddenly Bella's voice came over the line.
"I've never had a conversation on one of these airplane phones before. I've never been to Maine either. Oh, and Carlisle says to meet us at the old house in Maine in twelve hours."
"Bella, how are you resisting?" I asked in a whisper. This was nothing I had seen before. She didn't sound like a newborn either. She sounded totally at ease, like Carlisle.
"Of course they all smell delicious, but for some reason it isn't hard at all to not to attack them." She replied in a voice far too low for any nearby humans to hear. Her control was frightening. I was used to dealing with newborns… this wasn't normal.
"If it wasn't for your voice Bella, I would have thought Carlisle missed when he tried to bite you." I said, with a slightly forced chuckle. This wasn't normal at all.
"You won't doubt Carlisle's precision when you see me." Bella replied with a laugh. "Well Jasper, Carlisle wants to speak with you. I'll see you soon. Tell Emmett and Rosalie hi for me."
"Bye Bella." I replied.
"Bye!" A second later, Carlisle's voice was again the one talking to me.
"Rosalie and possibly Emmett will remember the house in Maine. That was where Rosalie found Emmett in the woods. We moved to Alaska right after. Have Rosalie drive. Since we don't have Alice to play the stock market, our cash isn't so limitless. We can't be using the airline phone for long. I'll see you soon." His casual reference to Alice stunned me to silence for a moment, then I realized that he wasn't bothered by it because he believed she was in heaven and that we could see her again. Whether I agreed with that, I didn't know, but it was strangely comforting having Alice's name said out in the open. I finally composed myself enough to reply.
"We'll meet you there Carlisle." I replied. "Give Esme a hello for me. We'll see you in twelve hours." I hung up the phone and put it back into my left shoe. I was keeping it there now.
"Rosalie, we're going to the old house in Maine. Bella says hi to you and Emmett." I called to them in a normal conversation voice. They would hear me easily from upstairs. Emmett and Rosalie came flying down the stairs and out into the garage. I smiled and followed them out the door. I realized something then. I could do this. I could make it through my existence without Alice. It would, of course, be painful. That would never change. There was something else that would never change too though. I'd always have my family. With that thought in my mind, I got into the back seat of the Jeep. I was still smiling.