AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone! I apologize for taking so long to post again. I had the chapter finished but needed to find time to edit it before putting it up. This is the chapter where you all get to find out what exactly went on with Livia and the Volturi, as well as the back story for this sort of love triangle. This chapter consists mostly of the back story. I deemed it important because the story revolves a lot around what happened in the past. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have the others.

A million thanks to there super awesome people who took the time to review: ellaryne, beauford, sujari6, cbmorefie, csp4, and guest.

Disclaimer: All Twilight saga characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.


CHAPTER 11

Xx TSC xX

To say that I've had better night sleep would be an understatement. I kept waking up every hour worried and scared, only to end up forgetting what it was about and falling back asleep. All this Volturi business must really be getting to me. I was pretty confident about our abilities to fend them off before, but now I'm not so sure they will be willing to give up so easily. They lost two important people in their family and my aunt Livia was in the middle of it all.

I find my dad downstairs getting ready to leave for work.

"Hey Dad, could you hold on a second?"

"Hey Bella, I'm surprised to see you up so early. Everything okay?"

"I didn't sleep very well but that's not important right now. Do you think you have time to talk for a little bit?" He looks at me with a curious expression on his face but nods his head and we sit at the kitchen table. "There is a diary and some letters in the box where I found my necklace. I admit I got curious and decided to read them. I just thought that since she was gone she probably wouldn't mind and maybe it would shed some light on the whole Volturi thing."

"You've been reading her letters and diary then?"

"No I just noticed them again last night and I've only read one letter, but it's enough to know that things are not exactly how we thought they were."

"What did you find out then?"

"I opened the earliest letter sent to her from Italy. I expected it to be a love letter or something from Felix since you told me she was so in love with him. It wasn't from Felix though, it was actually from Alistair. She wasn't in love with Felix Dad, she was in love with Alistair and he was trying to stop her wedding." The shock is clearly evident on his face and he takes a moment to process the information I have just thrown at him.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I can show you the letter if you wish but it's clearly stated in it."

"I think I'd rather take your word for it."

"I will find out what I can from the letters. Things aren't as simple as we thought they were Dad and I have a feeling that the Volturi might know a lot more than we think they do." He agrees with me and gives me a hug before walking out the door. I get something to eat before I head back upstairs to get ready for school. I pull out a soft white sweater dress, grey leggings, and black boots. I decide to send everyone a quick group text asking them to meet me at the school's parking lot.

Edward questions me when he picks me up this morning but I convince him to wait to hear what I have to say until we are all together. We find the others chatting happily but they all sober up pretty fast once they see my serious demeanor.

I take a deep breath and grab on to Edward's hand before I start. "I don't know if maybe I'm making too big of a deal out of this, but I think it's important for all of us to be informed on what truly went on with my aunt and the Volturi."

"I thought the only thing that really went on was her engagement to Felix Volturi and her suicide after his death," Jasper says confused.

"I came across some of her letters and a diary when I first got here. I honestly didn't pay much attention to them and I was more interested in her beautiful necklace and finding out who she was at the time. I had forgotten about it until yesterday. I was looking for my necklace when I came across her letters and diary again. I admit curiosity got the best of me and I decided to just go ahead and read them. She's already gone, so it isn't like I'm truly invading her privacy, besides I believe it could shed some light into this whole Volturi business."

"No I don't think you're invading her privacy at all. She's no longer here to explain from her point of view how things went down so I suppose this is the next best thing," Alice agrees.

"Anyway, to make the story short. She truly was supposed to marry Felix, but ended up falling in love with Alistair instead. Alistair was working on stopping the wedding but I don't know how it happened exactly because I've only read one letter so far."

"Isn't Alistair the man they found dead at the beach over in La Push," Emmett asks.

"Yes. He and Felix were best friends, maybe even related. I'm not totally sure on that one but once I read a bit more I'll probably figure it out. I got a feeling that maybe the Volturi came here to kill him or at least to dump his body."

"If that's true, then this can truly be a dangerous situation. If those people are capable of killing they really could stop at nothing to get to us."

"I wish we had super powers," Emmett sighs. We all turn to look at him strangely as if he was telling a bad joke.

"What else would you call our abilities then Emmett," Rosalie teases him. He rolls his eyes at her before turning to the rest of us again.

"I mean like being able to shoot electricity or fire from our hands. That would definitely come in handy," He winks. We all burst out laughing at this silliness. I guess we really needed a little bit of comic relief to help with the tension.

"I was thinking about going back to circle this afternoon to strengthen our bond. We can head over to my house next and try to read the rest of the stuff aunt Livia left." Everyone agrees to my plan.

Xx TSC xX

I bump into Angela on my way to my biology class. She stops for a few minutes to talk to me.

"It's been awhile since we last talked. Everything going okay with you?"

"Yeah things have been going good, stressing out a little bit over all the project being assigned but nothing too bad." I didn't notice Jessica and Lauren approach until it was too late.

"Bella long time no see," jokes Jessica.

"Haven't you heard? She's got a new boyfriend and a new group of friends to keep her occupied now," Lauren decides to butt in. I take a deep breath and decide I really need to keep cool and collected or I'll start snapping back at her.

"Some people just have a group they kind of fall into. There is nothing bad about that, and she isn't doing anything wrong," Angela replies. "How're things with Edward so far?"

"Oh things are great. He really is a wonderful boyfriend," I gush.

"Aw that is so cute. I wish Mike would give me the time of day," Jessica says dejectedly.

"Hey if he doesn't realize what a catch you are then he really isn't smart enough. You deserve better." I continue to chit chat with Angela and Jessica while Lauren is in the background tapping her foot annoyingly. I don't condone violence and I usually try to be the bigger person but sometimes I just feel like punching the bitch on her face. Before we part ways I can't help but pull Lauren aside for a few seconds.

"Lauren you really should try to overcome your jealousy and bad attitude. It really doesn't become you. I suggest accepting what you don't have and being happy with what you do," I say quickly and run off before she even has a chance to respond.

When the school day ends we all head over to my house to park the cars and then walk over to the circle. It is unusually sunny at the clearing today. Now that I know that I can't actually give up so much of my own energy that I will end up completely drained I feel more comfortable letting go. I look up towards the sky and feel the warm sun on my skin. I stay like that for a few moments until I feel my face get tingly and warm. I feel the familiar rush of energy running through my body. 'Wow I think I can actually take some energy from sunlight, which actually makes a lot of sense.'

We all hold hands and get ready to exchange energy. I take a deep breath and open myself up more than I every have before. The feeling of energy trapped within my body gives me a boost of confidence. I feel the rush of energy and the electric current associated with sharing. As usual, the weather seems to be affected by our activities. The clouds clear a bit more and the clearing gets brighter and warmer by several degrees. The wind picks up once again but this time I don't feel like it's going to sweep me away. I grip Edward and Rosalie's hands a little bit tighter than before. When we all feel satisfied we slowly open our eyes and let of of our hands. The weather goes back to the way it was before we shared.

"Wow that was our best one yet," Alice exclaims happily. "Your energy was a little bit different today Bella, warmer and calmer."

We all walk back towards my house. Each one of us holding hands with our significant other. I could feel Edward's happiness through our small bond.

"I'm really proud of you," he whispers softly against my ear.

"Thank you, I'm really proud of my accomplishments so far as well."

I open my bedroom door and everyone claims a spot for themselves immediately. The girls take the bed and the boys sit on the floor against the bed. I take out the box and start handing out letters to everyone, keeping the diary to myself. We determine that the best way to do this is to take turns reading everything. I decide I might as well start reading from the diary and go from there.

x

May 1st 1994

I have decided to document everything that happens in my life from this point forward. My parents agreed that I should marry into the Volturi family. Deep down I know they are being manipulated and the end goal is to break up our Clan. There is nothing I can really do however, I know that my abilities are a powerful weapon to them and they will never leave us in peace until we agree to join them. The only upside to this situation is that fact that Felix has agreed to move here instead of making me leave for Italy. We will have to travel there often but at least I can still call Forks my home. They will be coming in a few days to discuss the final details.

x

May 5th, 1994

Today I finally met Felix Volturi and he behaved like a perfect charming gentleman. He seems genuinely interested in me and what I had to say. He told me that he liked me and that I was beautiful. He also mentioned that t together we would make a powerful couple. I am not sure what he meant by that but I don't think I want to find out. He doesn't seem the type of man to just settle for a small town kind of life. I am so afraid that I will be forced to leave Forks behind sooner rather than later. Without me, the families will not be able to form a strong enough bond and the link will be missing forever. Unfortunately Charlie cannot step into that role and that saddens me but I think it saddens him even more.

x

May 6th, 1994

Today I think I met my one true love. I never considered myself naive enough to believe in love at first sight. In our world connections are made pretty quickly but actual love at first sight is quite unheard of. Alistair and Felix are both similar and different. While Felix is borderline cocky, Alistair is just confident. When we met today we could barely keep our eyes off each other and I hope that Felix did not notice. We managed to sneak away at the same time to talk. I asked him where he had been all my life and why he had kept me waiting. He gave me a blindingly bright smile and apologized. I realize that this situation can land us both in a whole world of trouble but they cannot keep us away. He is still a part of the Volturi family, he is Felix's cousin for god's sake. Surely they don't mind which one I bond with?

x

May 9th, 1994

It's been a busy few days. I've been forced to split my time between Felix and Alistair. This situation is getting more complicated by the moment. Alistair is conflicted because on one hand he loves me as much as I love him but he is also loyal to Felix who is his best friend and family. Sneaking away and finding time to spend together has been easier than I thought because surprisingly Felix is not demanding too much of my time. Luckily he doesn't seem to find my aloofness strange; we were never close to begin with anyway. They both need to return to Italy to discuss with their family the trip and start making wedding plans. Felix wishes for the wedding to take place in Italy. I made Alistair promise me he will write soon. I think it might be time to have a conversation with my own parents.

x

May 23rd, 1994

Alistair wrote me the letter he promised me. He doesn't seem to be very optimistic about our situation, but at least he promised me that he would not allow me to marry Felix. I don't think I could live without my one true love. I can't wait to see him and be in his arms once again.

I finish off the last short journal entry and take a deep breath. No one says a thing for a few minutes.

"That was such a terrible situation for both of them to be in," Jasper breaks the silence. We don't say anything but I know we all agree. Rosalie unfolds her letter next and starts reading.

May 26th 1994

My love,

I seem to not have made much progress in stopping your wedding with Felix and for that I am sorry. The wedding plans are still going strong and Felix is adamant that he wants to marry you. He was dating a girl from a well to do family before the marriage agreement was made and left her broken hearted. I told him that he could still marry her if he loved her and that I would speak to my uncle and take his place gladly in order to see him happy. He declined however and started spouting off nonsense about obedience and family honor. I know he is definitely attracted to you. You are gorgeous and no man could ever think otherwise. I believe he took what I said as a joke, so at least there is no danger of him becoming irate and doing something crazy. I am still trying to find a way stop this wedding from happening, please have faith.

Your Alistair

I pick up the diary and start reading next.

June 5th, 1994

I was so disappointed with the last letter Alistair sent me that I was depressed for days. My parents were wondering what was going on, so I was forced to confess everything that has been happening to me. They were astounded to say the least. They seemed to snap out of their confusion pretty fast and agreed to speak to the Volturi in order stop the wedding or at least modify the contract. I am so happy that I have their love and support. I don't think I could do this without them. When Felix and Alistair arrived, my parents decided not to wait to speak to Felix about the situation and called a meeting the same day. He didn't take things well. He was angry and kept reiterating that we had a marriage contract that could not be broken. My parents pleaded with him to modify it somehow. I was forced to tell him that I had absolutely no connection to him and that creating a bond was going to be difficult at best. He said nothing except that he needed to speak to his parents about the subject before walking out the door. Alistair told him it was best for him to stay in town just in case something came up. Felix agreed and left for Italy. Alistair and I were blissfully happy and free for a few days before he was called back to Italy. We had enough time to create our own bond before he left and it was the most magical experience of my life.

Emmett picked up the next letter and started reading next.

June 9th, 1994

Livia Swan,

We have no intentions to modify the terms of our marriage contract. You are required to follow through with it and marry me as stipulated. I understand that you may not feel a great connection right now but that will rectify itself with time. We could try and bond at your circle like the olden times and hopefully make things easier for ourselves. I am sorry that you currently feel this way but you agreed to all of this nonetheless and there is no going back. The wedding plans will continue here in Italy and I suggest you ready yourself for our impending nuptials. My father will visit your parents to discuss this further.

Your future husband,

Felix Volturi

I pick up the diary once more and continue reading where I left off.

June 16th, 1994

I am completely devastated and I don't think I have cried more in my life than I have today. Felix refuses to set me free or at least let me marry someone else in his family. I don't know what else to do. I just hope that Alistair is making progress and will find a way out of this. If not, I will be forced to marry Felix and eventually leave my family behind. My parents have arranged a meeting with Aro Volturi and I hope that they have better luck this time around.

x

June 18th, 1994

My parents went to talk to Aro Volturi tonight. I'm praying things turn out okay. I haven't heard anything from Alistair since he left and it's worrying me. I have a feeling something terrible is going to happen and I feel powerless to stop it.

x

June 22nd, 1994

It's been two days since I buried my parents and I am completely devastated at the turn of events. Charlie is besides himself with sadness and we have been counting on each other for support. All the police report says is that they were mugged in Port Angeles on their way back to their car. They were robbed of their possessions, then shot and left for dead in an alley. I refuse to believe that the Volturi had nothing to do with this. They died precisely on the night they were trying to negotiate the terms of the contract. Unfortunately, Aro Volturi has a tight alibi and no proof against him. I refuse to marry into a family of murderers. I am aware of the fact that Alistair belongs to that family but I believe wholeheartedly that he is different than all of them. He WILL come back for me and we will run away together. They'll never find us. I've been getting by by taking a little bit of energy for myself. It's just a little bit, it won't do any harm. I need to stay strong for Alistair. I need to wait until he comes back for me. I can't give into the sadness of losing my parents.

Alice picks up her letter. "I guess I'm next then."

June 24th, 1994

My love,

I am so sorry to hear about the death of your parents sweetheart. I know that my involvement with you is the cause of all of this and for that I am sorry. Aro had something to do with it and we all know it but we don't talk about it. In spite of everything the wedding preparations continue. I have decided that I will talk to Felix personally and hopefully knock some sense into him. It's taking me a few days to built up the courage and find the right time to do so but I promise you I will. If they don't agree I will leave them all behind and we can run away together. I will protect you with my life if I have to.

Forever yours,

Alistair

x

June 28th, 1994

Alistair called today for the first time ever. We had agreed to keep a low profile by only sending letters, but this was too urgent to wait. He talked to Felix and things went terribly wrong. He told me Felix was not listening to reason, called him a traitor, and threatened to exile him from Italy. Things got even uglier after that. He did something terrible but I know that he truly did it in self defence. In his fury, Felix attacked Alistair and Alistair did all that he could to defend himself. I know Alistair didn't mean it. He would not kill his own flesh and blood on purpose. I will not look at him any different for what he has done. He told me he was going to take the first plane out of Italy and come get me. He is terrified because he believes someone may have seen something. We will run away together to the end of the world if we have to. I have been taking more energy than usual and I am not putting any of it back. It's the only way I know how to cope. I need to keep strong for the both of us.

x

July 1st, 1994

I have been hiding Alistair for a few days now. I have gotten several calls from Volturi's people asking about his whereabouts. I deny knowing anything about it but I am completely terrified. I don't think they know we are involved with each other but we suspect they might know he was the one who killed Felix. Alistair received a phone call and he took off to meet someone he believes can help us. I have packed my bags and I'm ready to leave as soon as he says so. I am upset about leaving Charlie behind like this, especially after losing both of our parents not long ago, but it is too dangerous to say anything. His life would be in danger if he knew what has truly been going on. I hope he forgives me one day for deceiving him and leaving him behind forever.

I shut the diary and then proceed to bury my face in my pillows.

"This is so crazy," I say. My voice muffled by the pillows. I hear the others start to stand up and I pull my face away from the bed.

"This was a lot to take in, but at least we know what was truly going on. We are better prepared to deal with the Volturi thanks to her diary and the letters she left behind."

"I can't believe my grandparents agreed to the marriage in the first place."

"You saw what she wrote and we know how they work. They manipulated them into agreeing but what they were holding against them we will probably never know."

"But could they have manipulated them with their abilities?"

"It's a possibility, but the fact that they work dirty is known information so something else must have been at play."

"That's the last of the journal entries and the letters and it's close to the date that she died on. I am assuming that things went wrong when Alistair went to meet his contact. Who knows, maybe the contact was the one actually sent to assassinate him."

"We are going to head home now and let you process things calmly," says Alice before leaning over and giving me a hug goodbye; everyone except Edward leaves.

"How are you taking things sweetheart?"

"I think I'm taking it fairly well all things considered. This is kind of a shock to me as well as to you I'm sure but I think we just have to deal with this situation head on and prepare ourselves for the worst."

"That's the spirit, we will strengthen our bond not only as a group but as a couple. I meant it when I said that I considered you my forever and everything that happens to you affects me too." He leans over and places a tender kiss on my forehead. I lean against him in response.

"I can't help but feel a tiny bit guilty over all of this. This is all revolved around my family and I feel like this is happening to you guys because of us," I whisper against his chest.

He pulls away from me and grabs my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Although it is true that it mostly revolved around your family at the time, they have been pestering us for many many years. They are always trying to find a weak link and I suppose they found it in your grandparents. We are a very small clan but we have very powerful/useful abilities. It's kind of like having a lot concentrated power. I think they also feel threatened by us because we never truly showed fear against them."

I lean back on my bed bringing him down with me. He buries his face on my neck and continues to hold my cheek.

"It really felt amazing to truly share my energy with all of you and being able to receive all of yours."

"Yeah I definitely felt the difference in you. I know I always tell you so, but I am proud of you." I turn my face, kiss him on the cheek, and mutter a soft thanks.

"Do you think we could bond soon," I ask somewhat shyly.

"That's a really important step love, do you think you're reading to do this? Are you in love with me?"

I hesitate and look away, a faint blush staining my cheeks.

"We have not been together long enough, and although I care about you so much and I cannot imagine not having you in my life, I am not there yet," I admit carefully.

"I totally understand. I think I feel a the same way but I can tell you right now that I am quickly falling in love with you." I smile brightly at his response. I pull his face towards mine and kiss him passionately. I give it my all because I want him to feel exactly what it is that I feel for him. Things escalate quickly after that and before I know it he is on top of me. He sneaks his hands inside my sweater and caresses the bare skin of my back. I hesitate for a second before pulling away from him and grabbing the bottom of my sweater to pulling it off. He doesn't question me at all and quickly pulls me towards him again. He begins to pepper kisses across my jaw and down my neck and shoulders, I throw my head back and moan softly, egging him on. He slides his hand under my bra, but quickly decides that it's not enough and starts fidgeting with the clasp of it. I desperately attempt to slide his shirt off making him chuckle. Just as he is about to pull it off himself we hear a door slam shut.

"Dammit," Edward groans falling to the bed next to me and I giggle in response. I quickly sober up however, when I start to think of what Charlie would think if he saw us right now. My hair a mess, my shirt off, bra barely hanging on, and swollen lips.

"I think you should go downstairs first, you are in better shape," I suggest. He looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Do you want him to shoot me or something? Maybe I can go down your balcony ladder and then sneak to the driveway to get my car." I roll my eyes at him and stand up while attempting to hold the bra to my chest.

"Brush your hair a bit and go downstairs, start talking to him about the events of today to distract him. I'll come down soon."

"He's gonna know Bella."

"Your car is in the driveway and we are nowhere to be found downstairs, so I think he's got a pretty good idea. I just don't want him to walk in on us, who would?"

"You're right, it's just that even though we are adults, this is still his house and you are still his daughter." I give him a little kiss of encouragement before shooing him out the door.

After I shut the door and I lean against it and sigh. Despite all of what's happening and all the secrets, he is my ray of sunshine.

xx


Uh oh! ExB are always getting interrupted, but don't worry they will get to it eventually ;). Plus you have to remember that they really haven't been together for long at all despite their connection.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I tried my best to keep the dates consistent and somewhat realistic but if something doesn't add up... let's just go with it. Don't forget to review! I am humbled by the fact that you are all taking the time to read and review my story and that you are really enjoying it. Like I have mentioned in the past, I'm doing this for fun and I'm no where near perfect. :D

Thank you!

Kiara