A/N: Since I obviously don't have a Beta and I didn't have a lot of time, I didn't proofread this chapter as well as I would have liked. I think mostly everything is fine but if there is something out of place, sorry. Still, I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters of the Twilight universe. They are all owned by Stephanie Meyer.

Last time on Isabella Marie Swan Volturi…

I shakily stood up straight and backed away. There were three boys surrounding me, the one who had taken me, Sam, who looked to be the oldest; the boy who had just spoken and was now nearing me warily, his nose wrinkled, and another boy with russet colored skin and cropped hair, who was shaking tremendously, his fists clenched tightly and his jaw tight as he glared at me with dark eyes.

"Calm down, Paul," Sam said calmly to the trembling one. Almost immediately, Paul began relaxing though his fists and jaw were still tightly clenched.

"Now," Sam, whom I had already inferred was the leader of this group, turned to me, "who are you and what are you doing with the bloodsuckers?"

Presently…

CHAPTER 10: HEARING MORE THAN NECESSARY, LEARNING MORE THAN WANTED

I stared at him for a long, hard moment. I mean, really, really stared. In that time, his eyebrows rose and he looked like he wanted to back away but did a good job of not moving. Slowly, a bit unsure if I should do it, I backed away from him, never removing my gaze. I think he could see what I was doing but he didn't look like he wanted to come near me.

He was something inhuman, something monstrous. He wasn't a vampire but he was like one. Disguised as a human, probably a killing machine, maybe even something I'd seen before. Not a werewolf, no definitely not. They always looked much more ragged and drained. Plus, the full moon had to be this week. He would have been looking sickly. These men looked perfectly healthy and fit. A transformation took a lot out of a person. That's how the Caius justified his senseless murders of the werewolves. He said he was putting them out of their misery. I had seen it happen, right before my eyes. So close that I could smell the blood and the fire and see the white teeth shining with a coat of venomous saliva that would make me something deadly and monstrous like the vampires but also different, the enemy.

No, this had to be something else. Shape-shifters? It could be. I'd never seen one before but maybe this was the first. But what could they possibly shift to?

"Answer the question, necrophiliac," someone growled. My gaze shot to Paul who was glowering at me with an expression of hate and disgust. I just rolled my eyes. Very mature, Paul.

"You want answers, go ask the so-called "blood suckers" that you are talking about. I've got nothing to do with them or whatever it is you're talking about." I turned away and looked around where we were. There wasn't much of a distance to the road that would probably lead me back to Forks. I could just try and walk that and see if it took me to the highway. I doubted the psychic hadn't seen what happened to me yet. If they hadn't come to get their insurance chip yet, there had to be a reason.

"You've got everything to do with them," Sam replied calmly, calling back my attention. "You're searching for them right now. They probably haven't even told you about the treaty yet –how they can't even come here to get you back. I know you're with them. Back at the school, you were there with them too. That teacher saw me and didn't let me see but I could tell by the way your scents mixed. Their stench is all over you." I sized up his response in my head before internally shrugging. I didn't really want to go back to the house but I didn't want to stay here and I didn't care to find out what the treaty was. It was cold and Paul was looking like he wanted to murder me. Sam might have had something to do with his sudden lack of shaking but I would have minded if that control had slipped even for a moment. This wasn't how I wanted to die. So I mentally squared my shoulders and thought up a plan. It wasn't exactly great but it could work.

Looking as confused and stupid as I could, I looked to Sam. "Treaty? What treaty?" He seemed smug the way he was looking at me, as if he had just pulled down the pants of someone he hated with a passion. With calm eyes and a grim line for a mouth, he appraised my presence in mock reluctance before leaning forward slightly as if to entice me to come forward. I did as was expected.

"The bloodsuckers you're staying with made a deal with us that they'd never cross over to our territory. And they definitely can't bite you. They do and we're at war." I wasn't really listening. Rather, I was thinking about how far forward I would have to move and how much time I'd have to make my presence known to the world outside this tiny little patch of land.

"If they feed off of you or attempt to change you, they'll be facing the werewolves. We won't allow them to break the treaty without consequence." I made sure to keep my eyes on him as I stepped forward. I leaned toward him a bit and whispered something much too quiet to be heard. Confused, he leaned forward with his brows furrowed, "What?"

"You're not werewolves." His eyes widened right before they clenched in pain and he buckled to the ground. As soon as my foot had hit the ground, I was running and screaming at the top of my lungs, "Help!"

I didn't look back and I ran and stumbled over pebbles too small to see but I kept on screaming, hoping there was a house close enough to the road for someone to hear me. My throat hurt (I'd never been one for making very vocal exclamations before) and I hoped it wouldn't begin squeaking quite yet. Suddenly, a too warm arm caught me around my waist and pulled me back, landing me in the warm chest of Paul. He was squeezing me too tight and his eyes were on fire, ready to try and burn me from the inside out. Instead of trying to glare on back, I screwed my eyes shut and screamed bloody murder in hope that someone would come and try to help. Some hitchhiking psychopath was better than this.

"Stop screaming," Paul yelled over me. "You're hurting my ears!" I just screamed louder while I kicked and pounded on his arm with my fist. They were all strong is seemed. I hadn't heard exactly of the strength of shape-shifters. In fact, I hadn't heard much of them at all. A couple passing comments from Alec was all I had as knowledge on them but from what I could tell, they must have some sort of super human strength that was similar to a vampire's. But vampires were practically made of rock. The only ones that matched up to them were werewolves. But Sam claimed them to be werewolves. What were these creatures?

"What the hell? Hey, leave that girl alone, Paul! Let her go!" My eyes snapped open at the boyish voice and a gangly looking boy with the same russet colored skin and dark eyes entered my vision. But he looked much younger and had something in his eyes –worry, fear, anger– that made me trust him. So I went limp in Paul's arms as he squeezed me so tight that my lungs felt them were about to pop and just stared at the boy who was coming closer, each step bringing up more panic to his eyes.

My vision began to blur as the air was pushed out of my lungs forcefully and my ribs felt they were about to break within me. Someone was shouting and the arms around me grew tighter until I was suddenly dropped to the ground and left gasping, my head whirling with dizziness. Cool hands –comparatively to the ones that were just holding me– were on my cheek and back, one trying to lightly slap some life into me while the other supported me as I was pushed to sit up.

I coughed and tried to find the strength to even out my breaths but it didn't work as well as I thought. The air burned and my eyes were tearing up. Someone started patting me on the back.

"Hey, you okay? I'm so sorry. I have no idea what Paul was thinking!" His low, comforting voice was the thing I listened to so I could focus on breathing.

"Jacob," someone called calmly. I turned my red face up and glared at Sam who now looked calm, so different from how he looked when he had realized my knee had met contact with his groin. "Help her up and give her back to me. She's been involved in some suspicious activities that I can't ignore."

"Sure she was," he sounded sarcastic. I was too busy glaring at Sam to look back and see if the boy –Jacob– was rolling his eyes. "Which is probably why you needed two guys twice her size to help back you up. Look at all the trouble she was being, right? Running away from three guys ganging up on her like a couple of gangbangers; she should have just sat still and took it, right?" He growled angrily. "You guys are the worst, you know that? You ought to be arrested or something. I can't believe the council actually looks to you all for protection. You're a bunch of brainless morons." There was a loud growl from behind Sam and I looked to see Paul struggling against Jared's strong yet straining hold. I flinched back.

"See what you've done? You've probably scared the hell out of her and now she'll press charges or something." He looked down to me and frowned. Carefully and almost timidly, he helped me stand and let me put a distance between myself and the others.

"Jacob, you don't understand. She's living with the Cullen family now. Isn't that at all suspicious to you?"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "The family is full of adopted kids, none of which have ever caused any trouble or been anything other than model citizens. I'm sure this is the one that is the mass murderer who will decide to kill off the reservation. Now, before you make any more accusations against that family, I'm going to take –"

"Bella," I murmured uncomfortably, squirming under the harsh glares coming from Paul and now Jared as well.

"Bella to my house so we can call the Cullens. I'll take her home since you all obviously won't allow them to come here to get her themselves." I shook my head quickly and looked down.

"I'll walk. I just want to get home without any more trouble." Okay, so maybe I was laying on the innocence a bit too thick. But I had to get to the lair before this treaty thing was broken, whatever it was. I'd heard of vampires killing out the werewolf species before it grew any larger and these shape-shifters claimed themselves to be werewolves.

If a war was started (I still hadn't figured out what kind of war it would be), would the Cullens kill these creatures to continue what the Volturi were doing? Carlisle didn't seem like the kind of person –I mean vampire, to do that kind of thing. They did look human, after all. Would he take pity on them and refuse to kill them because of the Volturi's rules or would he sacrifice his belief in humanity and turn the other way while the others kill them? The picture of him doing so didn't sit well in my mind.

"No, Jacob. She's dangerous. She can't be trusted anywhere near the Cullens. We've got to advise the council."

"Yeah, and while you're at it, I'm going to call the police in Forks to come and arrest you guys for harassment. And after I tell the Cullens, I hope on my life that they press charges against you sick bastards. Lord knows that something needs to be done about you all." They seemed to back off now. Sam's calm mask was starting to crack and his dark eyes began to burn.

"I'm taking her to my house now. We're going to call the Cullens and tell them where she is so they don't worry anymore than they have to." With that, Jacob started to lightly drag me towards the road. I didn't fight him. Trust, an emotion I hadn't really felt from anyone besides Carlisle, was spreading a bit deep now. Jacob looked like an overgrown child, just an inch taller than me and more roundness in his cheeks.

Once we got to the road, he began pulling me along a bit faster. I stumbled a bit before actually catching up.

"Sorry," he said guiltily. "I just don't like being too near to them for too long. La Push's so-called "Protectors" and here they are, attacking an innocent girl, three to one." He shook his head and turned to me fully, still walking.

"I really am sorry. I'm just glad I heard you from the Clearwater's house. But you probably don't know them anyway." I shook my head. The name…it seemed…familiar.

"Oh, I'm so stupid. I'm Jacob Black." He held out his hand quickly and awkwardly. Unable to return the gesture, I nodded and watched as his hand returned to his side just as awkwardly as it had come out.

"Bella S –Volturi. I'm Bella Volturi." He nodded and smiled at me, a large grin that resembled a ray of sunshine. It was nice. When had somebody ever smiled at me like that. He swung his torso back to look at the road again, his black hair swinging with him. I hadn't noticed that his air was about the same length as mine albeit straighter and probably much more tamable. It was tied at the nape of his neck, held in place by a rubber band.

"Yeah, I heard the Cullens had adopted another kid. I've never actually met any of them before, but I've heard they're really nice people." I nodded noncommittally made a sort of sigh turned grunt in response. I didn't feel like hearing all about the Cullen family's good deeds. It was still cold and I was tired and wanted to go back to the house. The school day had been hard and this had just made it worse. I held back a growl of annoyance towards whatever reason that thing took me for. The vampires were bad enough. I didn't need something else after me. Stupid werewolf wannabe's.

"Um…you don't mind me taking you to my house, do you? You can call your family yourself. If they can't come get you, I'll just borrow the Clearwater's truck and take you there myself. It'll be getting dark soon and I wouldn't feel comfortable with you walking home, even if you would have me with you." This boy was talkative. Not in an annoying way but just in a childish way. He looked a lot younger now, like a little kid with a big heart. I put in my best effort to turn and smile at him. It came out tired and sad and not at all right but I hoped he would understand.

"Sure," I said quietly. "That'd be great. I'd bet my life that they're worried sick about my welfare." Cold and impersonal was how it came out. Jacob just smiled at my voice and a little bounce entered his step.

"Well, we're here," he said happily, wordlessly guiding me to the little house's screen door. He walked in and called out, "Hey, dad, you got a minute?"

A man with wrinkled russet skin and dark eyes and long hair like Jacob's hanging over his shoulders rolled into the room on a wheel chair. As soon as he saw me, his eyes focused on me as if he was confused about something or like I was something familiar to him. Come to think of it, the name Black was familiar too….

"Who's your friend, Jake?" the man asked quietly, his eyes still appraising my face. I blushed under his scrutiny; embarrassment be damned.

"Oh, this is Bella Volturi, the Dr. Cullen's new kid," Mr. Black's eyes widened. "Actually, I'd like to speak to you about that. Sam's gang was bothering her today like she was some sort of criminal. You're on the council. That kind of stuff can't be happening around here, dad. Forks police would start giving the res trouble if they start hearing about local kids ganging up against innocent girls. It's not right." Black seemed to ignore him. When Jake had mentioned the police, his eyes had widened even more and I became more determined to remember whatever time had made me forget, whatever memory it was that made this person important to my past before Italy happened.

"You're completely right, Jake. How about you go and look up the Cullen's number and call them up to tell them where Bella is. Tell them that they can pick her at the line. They'll know where that is." Jacob just stared at the man incredulously as if he hadn't expected him to agree with him and then nodded at me, leaving presumably to get the phone.

As soon as he was gone, Mr. Black turned his wheel chair around and went to the small kitchen off to the side of the living room. The sound of things shuffling was all I could hear before something snapped shut and he was wheeled back into the room again carrying a picture frame in his lap. When he sat in front of me, he turned the frame in my direction and pointed at a person in the picture.

"This is you," he stated. I looked at the picture before recognition came to me.

It was me when I was younger. I was on a boat with Charlie and a man that looked very similar to the man who was holding the picture, both looking younger and more lively than I could remember. It hit me then.

This was Billy Black, my dad's best friend. Someone I actually remembered, for the most part. But he couldn't know. No, he couldn't. My father had disappeared off the face of Forks with my mother and his daughter, never to be seen again by old friends. No relatives existed. No one knew what happened to them. Charlie and Renee eloped with me in tow. That was all. There was nothing more. No one could know that my parents were no longer alive and I was adopted by the Cullens. No, Isabella Swan didn't exist anymore.

I screwed my brows and frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen this picture before and I don't look anything like that girl." Lie. I looked exactly like her. Awkward and pale with long, overly grown brown hair and bland brown eyes.

"Yes, you do remember. You're Charlie Swan's daughter. You disappeared with him seven years ago. He never turned up again. Neither did you. And now you're here with the Cullen family. What have they done with Charlie and Renee? What do they have planned for you?" he demanded. His eyes were fiery and angry and similar to Sam's as his control broke. Angry and peeved, I kept my face blank.

"I'm really sorry but I think you've got me confused with someone else. My name's Bella Volturi. It has been since I was born." Lie. "The Cullen's are my family and they will be for the rest of my life." Truth. "I don't know why everyone is making such a big deal about it. They're just a normal, loving family." Lie…truth…lie…truth…

"You remember me, I can see it in your eyes. For a moment, I could see it. You're lying to me. You know what I'm talking about. Your eyes are the same as Charlie's. He also couldn't lie to save his life." I continued to look confused and stupid and allowed agitation to begin to show.

"Look, I've got to get home. Esme," I internally cringed at her name, "is probably worried sick about me."

"Bella –"

"Hey, Bella, ready to go? I already called. Dr. Cullen said he'd come to get you just outside the res. I'll drive you there, alright?" I nodded to him, my eyes still matching up Billy's.

"I'm ready to go back," I said quietly, never dropping my gaze. Jacob's gaze shot from me to him, worry expressed whenever he looked at me and suspicion present when he stared at him. I nodded politely and turned to the door and walked out. The clouds made the sky look too dark for a measly time like five o'clock. It felt like it had been hours since I had been taken from school and run through the forestry. I hadn't realized how truly tired I had been until just now.

Jacob led me to a pick-up truck on the side of his house, hidden by the shadows. He unlocked my door and as soon as I was buckled began driving. I watched as small wooden houses passed us by, the porch lights all glowing yellow and orange, flickering shadows over the ceramic gnomes and carved wooden wind chimes that now tinkled in the night air.

"The guys, did they trick you into following them here or something?" I continued looking over the lawns as they disappeared from view.

"No, they took me from the school."

"What!?" he exclaimed loudly. "You mean, they actually took you from there, without your permission?!" I nodded casually. This seemed to aggravate Jacob. He sighed angrily and rubbed his hand over his face.

"I really wish you hadn't gotten such a bad impression of La Push while you were here. And I'm sorry if my dad was hassling you. The old man just doesn't know when to quit giving out old, half-baked tribal proverbs that were probably misinterpreted in the first place. They probably originally were meant to explain how to use the entire buffalo and are now great haiku's about life and philosophy and the gods." I couldn't help it. I laughed a choked laugh and hid my mouth behind my hand, trying to stifle the sound. Jacob just looked over at me and grinned a big, toothy grin that spread ear to ear.

"It's okay," I said after sobering myself up. "People have been saying stuff like that all day. My biology teacher was explaining how an amoeba was such an important life form. I don't understand how that is. No one cares about it now and they certainly didn't when no one knew it existed." He laughed and lightly hit his fist against the steering wheel. Then he turned his attention to the dashboard.

"I'm so glad the Chevy broke down and I got to borrow Henry's truck. His is so much easier to use." He gazed at me from the corner of his eye. "Don't squeal on me but I haven't gotten my license yet. I hope your dad won't mind." I frowned.

"He's not my dad." Jacob's smile fell quickly and he tried to correct what he had done.

"No, I'm sorry for implying that. I just –well, just assumed and –I didn't –" I cut him off with a wave of the hand.

"Don't worry about it. My parents died a while back. Carlisle's just not my father."

Jacob's brows furrowed. "I hope you don't mind me asking but, if your parents passed away some time ago, why are you just barely coming here? I heard Dr. Cullen is some distant uncle or something…" I nodded, making up the story in my head.

"He is but with the arrangements after my parents' death and everything going on with lawyers and everything, I've been tossed around a bit. Things just settled down recently. The Cullen family was finally able to take me in." All lies. How could one spew so many and not feel an ounce of sorrow or regret? I wasn't sure.

"Oh…umm…sorry but…how did it happen?" I looked out the window. He took it wrong.

"No, you don't have to explain if you don't want to. I was just curious." I shook my head again.

"It's okay. They were in a fire." Half-lie. Their bodies were burned in a furnace.

"I'm sorry. My mom died too; in a car accident." I returned his apology and frowned at him. Smiles weren't meant for the dead. Not now.

"They're here," he said quietly. "Well, this is it then. Again, I'm really sorry. I'll see if I can get my dad to take care of the guys, okay?" I shook my head.

"It's okay. These things happen. I'm over it." And with that, I walked over to the black Mercedes that was parked off the side of the road and climbed in the backseat where Edward sat directly behind Carlisle. The car was backed onto the road immediately before Edward had his hands on my head, turning it towards him and checking me over.

"She reeks of them Carlisle," he said quietly. "Are you hurt? Did they hurt you at all, in any way?"

I sighed. "Nothing but a bruise to the pride. I don't like being carried around like some sort of rag doll. Running isn't particularly fun either." Edward sighed in relief and looked at me again, his gaze critical.

"What did they say?"

Another sigh. "They asked what I was doing with you all, the "blood suckers"," I rolled my eyes. "Really, couldn't they be more creative? Could they really not come up with a better, more theatrical name? Nosferatu would have been good…" Edward rolled his golden eyes, the irises bright even in the dark.

"Anything else?"

I thought back. "Yes, they said something about you all breaking the treaty, that it would start a war if you bit me. And something about them being werewolves. But they weren't, were they? Really, how could they have been confused by their own species? They are shape-shifters of some sort but they most definitely aren't werewolves." Edward appraised me again.

"Impressive. You're right, they aren't werewolves. Shape-shifters that shift to large wolves, yes, but definitely not werewolves. Perhaps they are at a disadvantage because they will shift when most volatile but I suppose every species has their faults," he shrugged. "I just didn't think the species still carried on." He turned to Carlisle. "We'll have to look more into it. I didn't expect that the wolf genes would continue being passed on through all these years."

Carlisle shook his head, his eyes closed as we continued on the highway.

"Neither did I. I thought they had died out. Fortunately for us, we aren't going to be partaking in any form of biting or trespassing in the time to come."

"I just wish people would stop kidnapping me or taking me hostage. If this continues, I'll be up for a world record on the person has been kidnapped the most and has lived to tell the tale." I leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes.

"You're being unusually vocal today. Are you sure you're alright?" Edward asked quietly, his smooth voice not disturbing the darkness. I shook my head.

"Just tired. Want to get back to the house. Long day." He didn't say anything more. The heater turned on and warm air filled the back seat, pulling me into a deep, exhaustion fueled sleep.

A/N: So, this chapter was a fairly good length. I liked this one too. It made me smile. It took me awhile to just buckle down and do it but once I started, something clicked. I was able to continue! Anyway, if you all didn't catch it, Mr. Barnes had yelled at someone during the last chapter (not the A/N…which you people REVIEWED when I hoped you wouldn't!). Sam was the one he had yelled out and threatened to call the cops on. Foreshadowing was there. Nearly everything in this story has meaning to it.

Anyway, next chapter will be the Cullen family's perspective on Bella's time away and then some. It'll be interesting. Please review this chapter. I'm back and ready to write. You all could be supportive. Most of you have been though, so I appreciate it.

Sincerely Yours,

Laura a.k.a Sovoyita