Title: Isabella Volturi

Author: MarieCarro

Beta: Project Team Beta

Translators: LaMomo (Italian) myworldisblue (Portuguese)

Genre: Supernatural/Drama

Rating: NC-17

Summary: After being left by Edward, I couldn't stand the thought of him controlling me even in his absence. I admit it was an act of defiance, but it was a decision that brought me more happiness than I'd ever thought I'd experience. New Moon AU/Canon

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


CHAPTER 12

Aro turned to his brothers. "Let us counsel," he said and both of them nodded. They formed a triangle as they faced each other, and I turned my head slightly to give Alec the permission to cut off the man and his daughters' senses. When it was in effect, the guys put the women down so they sat next to their father.

For the first time since they arrived, I took a closer look at them. They were astonishingly beautiful with their golden-brown skin, dark eyes and long black hair. Their cheeks were flushed with color, and their bodies were long and graceful. It was like looking at the most beautiful human in the world because, with their features, you would never believe that they were half-vampires. They looked too warm and alive to be cold, undead corpses like the rest of us. I could even feel the heat radiating off of them from where I stood. They had high cheekbones, full lips, and beautifully chiseled jaws. Overall, they looked very feminine with hourglass figures and long slim limbs.

"We need to be certain that these hybrids won't jeopardize the future of the vampire existence." Aro's voice regained my attention, and I looked at the brothers. "Human technology has advanced enough that they could easily kill a vampire today if the secret came out. The secret is to our advantage and without that we have nothing. It has never been more important to keep our existence in the shadows."

"I say we get rid of them. Kill the women and then their father, and forget any of this ever happened. Keep the information to ourselves," Caius said with passion. He hated when new information was revealed about our species. He wanted things to be like they had always been.

"But brother, think about the possibilities. We're closing in on finding out exactly what our species is capable of. This is a great deal." Aro tried to persuade Caius to think like him, but he was stubborn.

"I don't like this. These hybrids can blend in with humans in a way we can't, and with their vampire knowledge, they could easily overtake us. They're obviously highly intelligent creatures."

"Exactly, and you want to destroy them."

"To protect our existence! Our way of living! Vampires aren't supposed to interact with humans in that manner," Caius exclaimed and stared angrily at Aro.

"Only when we hunt, right?" Aro challenged his, physically-looking, older brother.

"Exactly." I had never seen Caius and Aro talk like this. They acted like real brothers for once, and it was a bit unsettling to see them disagree with each other so strongly. It was important we were all united. I was afraid I was seeing cracks in our foundation by watching them like this.

I felt the need to step in between them, but I was afraid I'd be punished. But I had to take that risk. "Masters? Would you mind if I tell you what I think?"

"You don't have that authority!" Caius growled at me, and I took a step back.

Aro frowned at my forwardness but gestured for me to continue. I hesitated. I could see that neither Caius nor Aro liked my meddling, but Aro had given me his permission to speak now. I swallowed thickly and opened my mouth, but nothing came out. The words were stuck in my throat.

I was shocked when Sulpicia came forward and put her hand in Aro's, all the time keeping her eyes on me.

Whatever she was thinking, it didn't please Aro. His free hand clenched into a fist, and he stared at her as if she was insane, and the entire time I stood there with my mouth open, looking like a complete idiot. What had I thought I would accomplish by stepping between them? As Caius had said, I didn't have the authority to speak during a counsel. Unfortunately, I couldn't take it back now.

The silent conversation between my Master and Mistress ended when Sulpicia pulled her hand from Aro and stepped back to her original place. Aro had closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he locked his gaze with mine.

"Go on, Isabella." His voice was full of suppressed anger, and I wondered exactly what Sulpicia had told him.

I took a deep breath and finally spoke up. "I say you give Joham a warning and forbid him from creating another hybrid. Technically, he didn't break the law since we don't have any laws covering this area. If he doesn't heed your warning, we'll end him. At the same time, I feel that we should keep this information to ourselves until we know more. We can take the dead one with us and see what we can find out."

Caius glared at me while Aro considered what I'd said. It was the most logical solution, and I hoped the brothers would see it my way. Aro was almost on my side; Marcus would take the side that would mean as little violence as possible, so he was on my side as well. It was Caius that would be a challenge.

"We should vote," Caius hissed out and threw one last glare my way. I quickly averted my eyes down to the ground and turned my back to them to give them some privacy. "You already know my opinion. Deal with this and forget it ever happened."

"I prefer Isabella's suggestion," Marcus simply said before he fell quiet once again.

Aro cast a glance at Caius, then agreed with Marcus. "It's the most logical solution, brother."

"You'd take the suggestion of a guard over mine?" The fact that Caius reacted more strongly when Aro sided with me than when Marcus did showed how little he actually valued Marcus's opinion.

Aro sighed. "Caius, it's not about that. I just feel that Isabella has a point. Joham didn't break any laws, and if we start killing people that aren't criminals, what do you think will be said about the Volturi's integrity?"

Caius flinched slightly, and after thinking it over for a few seconds, he gave in. "Fine, then. So be it."

The entire guard had heard their conversation, and as soon as they had come to an agreement, Alec lifted his power from the women and Joham. They relaxed as soon as they could see again.

Aro ordered Santiago to translate for him and told Joham our conditions. He was to stop creating these hybrids if he wanted to stay alive, and we wanted to take the corpse of the dead one with us. He reacted strongly at the last part. He didn't want his dead daughter in the hands of her murderers, but he soon realized that he didn't have a choice. He surrendered her body to us and promised that he would keep from creating another hybrid until he got the 'go-ahead' from us. I thought it was a bit strange that he wanted more of them when he already had five, but I would never understand the longing for children.

As we arranged for our journey home, Aro took me aside. "Do not ever speak during a counsel, unless we say otherwise, again. Sulpicia saved you this time, but it cannot be repeated. Do you understand me, Isabella?"

I nodded quickly, and Aro sighed. "You know how I feel for you. I don't want any harm to come to you, but I could barely keep my brother from demanding to hand out your punishment. You will still be punished when we arrive in Volterra, but you should be grateful that Marcus and I will be the ones handing it out."

Aro left me and I shuddered at how close that had been. Caius favorite punishment was dismemberment, and images of stories that Felix and Demetri had told me flashed through my head. I had seen their scars myself.

I cleared my head of those thoughts and focused on the fact that we were on our way home, after almost seven months away, and I exhaled with relief. I was going home!

*~IV~*

"Did you hear what they found out about that hybrid in the lab?"

Demetri and I were walking through the corridors of the castle, heading toward the reception area where we had to be present for interviews with a new receptionist. Gianna never had her wish granted of becoming a vampire, but we couldn't just let her go with all of her knowledge, so she became the brothers' afternoon snack about thirty years back. We'd had another receptionist since then, but she'd faced the same fate.

Demetri immediately gained my attention. I had been wondering about that hybrid since we came back four months ago. "No, did they find anything weird?" I was worried; I wouldn't deny that. If it turned out that these half-breeds were dangerous to us, it would be disastrous if the information about their existence came out.

"Weird? Yes. Dangerous? Not so far."

I exhaled with relief. "So what did they find?"

We had our own lab even further underground. It was created solely for us to test new things, and we learned something new all the time. This information we kept to ourselves, though. While other vampires out there might thirst for knowledge, they wouldn't be able to access it without our permission. Some things just had to be held behind closed doors.

"Well, it's clear that they're nothing but half-human, half-vampires, nothing extra or special. They have vampire abilities to an extent, but their human side kind of evens all of it out. Their cell-division is three times faster than humans, and while they do have our skin texture, the venom in their blood makes it possible for them to move around just like us."

"So they do have venom in their bodies then?"

"Yes, it's not exactly the same as ours, and no oral venom could be found, at least not on this one. If we ever get our hands on a male hybrid, we need to test if that's a trait that comes with gender or if it's random."

I nodded. I had wondered about that as well. Joham had a total of six children, one of them dead and one of a male gender, and only the boy was venomous. The chances of it being random were very slim, and I thought it had to be gender-related. It just made more sense to me.

"Maybe it has something to do with genetics," I mumbled to myself.

"What do you mean?" Demetri asked with a frown.

"Well, if it's gender-related, maybe it's because the father is a vampire and the mother a human. It's already in their parentage that the male is venomous while the female isn't."

"Maybe, but isn't genetics supposed to be very random? A boy inherits from the mother and the daughter from the father?"

"Yes, but there are traits that are passed down from father to son that a daughter most likely won't inherit. Like male pattern baldness. And this is a new kind of genetics to us so who says that my theory is wrong?" I challenged him, and he smiled at me.

"True." We reached the reception area, but we stopped walking so we could continue the conversation. I wanted to know everything he knew about the hybrids.

"Did they find anything else?"

"Yes, they did. You know how vampires have twenty-five chromosomal pairs and humans twenty-three, right?"

"Yes."

"These have twenty-four."

"What does that mean?"

"They don't know yet. Hopefully, it's only because of the clash between the different species."

"Hopefully."

"Their skin doesn't glitter the way ours does," Demetri continued.

"It doesn't? But I thought they had the same skin as we do."

"They do, to an extent. It's more of a glow for them, and it's very subtle so humans wouldn't detect it, and the hybrids wouldn't have to stay inside on sunny days."

"I kind of envy them there. I miss the sun."

Demetri frowned. "You see the sun every day." He referred to the fact that I watched the sunrise and sunset every day from my window. I knew he would never fully understand. He'd been a vampire too long, and I guess I would feel the same way after a few centuries.

"I know, but it's a difference between watching it through your window and actually being outside. I haven't been outside during the day once in forty-six years. The last time was when we were in Seattle, chasing Victoria."

"You can still go outside. The forest is big, and humans don't usually go in there."

I sighed internally. "I just long for the normalcy of walking down the street with other people without causing an accident."

"So it's actually the interaction with humans that you miss," Demetri stated. It wasn't a question, so his mind was already made up, and it was no use for me to explain exactly what I meant.

No, I didn't miss interacting with humans because I'd left that world behind me a long time ago, but just the thought of being able to walk around in a city during the day without disturbing anyone was very appealing.

A weird fantasy entered my head as I saw a city in front of me that was populated only by vampires. The sun was high in the sky and everyone was glittering, but nobody cared because that was the norm there. Nobody had to hide during the day. Complete bliss.

I shook my head, forcing the thought out. That was just an absurd fantasy that would never come true. At least not as long as humans ruled the Earth, and I didn't think a planet ruled solely by vampires would function. I'd seen the movie Daybreakers, and even if humans were far from knowing of real vampires, it was just something in that movie that made chills run down my spine. It wasn't a secret that vampires were ruled by their thirst, so a scenario like in the movie wasn't unlikely if vampires were to become the dominant species. As long as there were more humans than vampires on Earth, everything would be fine.

"Our oral venom is poisonous to them," Demetri said, and it took several seconds for me to pull out of my thoughts and focus on him again.

"In what way?"

"The same way a lethal injection affects a human. Hybrids need oxygen and their hearts are beating. Our venom stops the flow of oxygen to the heart and causes it to stop."

So they weren't entirely immortal then. Vampires weren't either, but at least we didn't die if we were to get bitten during a battle. That showed a major weakness in the hybrids' biological structure, and I felt myself calm down further. With all their weaknesses, they were nowhere near dangerous to us, and they would never be able to overthrow us.

With the new information, I felt that I could go back to how everything was before the trip to South America. I could finally relax again.

I smiled at Demetri and we walked into the reception area together.

*~IV~*

1 year later

I felt slightly uncomfortable when I entered the throne room and found Sulpicia and Aro engaged in a passionate discussion. I should have heard them from the corridor, but my mind had been on other things, and I hadn't been paying any attention to my surroundings.

They looked up when I entered, and I hovered by the door, not sure if I should leave or stay. Both of their faces, however, lit up with smiles when they saw me, and Aro gestured for me to come forward. The smiles were full of parental adoration, and I felt warm inside when I saw it.

"Isabella! Come, we want to speak to you." I walked slowly up to them and knelt down on the floor.

"Isabella, stop that nonsense! Rise!" Sulpicia immediately said.

I frowned, feeling very confused. Why shouldn't I kneel in front of my Master and Mistress? Aro had never complained before. I looked up at him, and he just smiled at his wife. Still, I did as I was told and straightened out.

"What did you want to speak to me about?" I asked.

Aro answered me. "Isabella, we want to begin by making it clear that this is going to be a very informal and personal conversation between the three of us. Understood?" No matter how informal this conversation may be, my Master would never be able to stop giving orders and directions. That was just the way it was. But I nodded to show that I understood. Aro wanted us to be Isabella, Aro, and Sulpicia. Not Master, Mistress, and guard. I could do that … for a while.

"Even though you haven't been with us for a very long time both my wife and I want you to know that you have meant a great deal to us, and we have always viewed you as more than just a guard. Especially my wife." Aro paused, and I was curious as to where he wanted to go with this. "She's become very fond of you, and she's told me on several occasions that she thinks I should relieve you from your guard duties."

A cold shiver went through my spine, and it felt as if someone was squeezing my heart into an unrecognizable lump. What did he mean? Was I getting fired? Was he throwing me out of his coven? I didn't understand. I thought I did well.

"Master…?" I couldn't be informal at the moment. I was too aghast. "Are you not pleased with me? Did I do something wrong?" My voice was tiny, and I sounded like a small child, which I couldn't deny I felt like at that moment.

I was even more shocked when both Aro and Sulpicia chuckled. What was so funny about all of this? "On the contrary, Isabella," Sulpicia said. "We're very satisfied with what you've done for us, but we can't deny that you mean so much more to us than any of the other guards. I've gotten to know you very well, and I realized a few years back that I've come to love you as if you were family."

"I love you as my family as well," I declared. "You're my only family!"

An unusual show of affection took place between Sulpicia and Aro as she leaned her head on his shoulder, and he placed his arm around her. "What we're trying to tell you, Isabella, is that we want you to join the Volturi on a higher level. In a way that has never happened before, and we really hope you will accept," Aro said.

"Anything," I vowed. If Aro asked me to tear off my own arm, just for the sake of it, I would without hesitating. He was my Master, and almost my entire existence revolved around him and his family.

"We want you to join the Family as our daughter."

My mouth fell open slightly, and I stared mutely at Aro. Even though I was a vampire, and I knew there was absolutely nothing wrong with my hearing, I was very certain I must have gotten that wrong. Either that or they were pulling a joke on me because there was no way they had just asked me that.

"You want me as your daughter?" This must be a dream, a strange vampire daydream. But at the same time, I had never wished for anything to be truer. "Do you really mean that?" My voice cracked, and I knew I was about to cry as my emotions overwhelmed me.

"Yes." No hesitation whatsoever. They really meant it. They really meant it.

My entire body started to shake as my sobs racked through me. I looked up at them with eyes swimming with venom, and I swallowed thickly before I spoke.

"Would it be okay if I hug you right now?" Never once in my forty-seven years with them had I hugged them, and I could see that my question surprised them. I was sure they weren't prepared for how I would express my gratitude, but that was how it was done in my time, and it was the only way I knew.

Sulpicia looked up at Aro for a second before she took a step forward and held out her arms in a sort of awkward position. But I didn't care how awkward she was. I just stepped into her embrace and put my arms around her. After a few seconds, I felt Aro put one hand on Sulpicia's shoulder and one on mine. We leaned away from each other, and I saw that Sulpicia's eyes were full of emotion.

"There isn't anything I want more than to be your daughter," I told them, and they smiled at me.

In that moment, I felt complete happiness and bliss. I had never been more content with my life.


PortugueseEnglish translations

Minha linda criação! Minha filha! – My beautiful creation! My daughter!

O que você quer dizer com 'sua filha'? – What do you mean "your daughter"?

Afastem-se de mim, seus monstros! Vocês mataram minha filha! Eu almadiçoo você e todo o seu bando! – Get away from me you monsters! You've killed my daughter! I curse you and your entire coven!

Qual o seu nome? – What's your name?

Responda! – Answer me!

Quem quer saber? – Who wants to know?

Os Volturi. – The Volturi.

O que você quer de mim? What do you want from me?

Primeiro diga seu nome. – Your name first.

Papai! – Daddy!

Chame elas aqui. – Call them over.

Chame. Elas. Aqui. – Call. Them. Over.

Eu estou bem aqui! – I'm right here!

Papai! Por que você se afastou de nós? – Daddy! Why did you run away from us?

Quem são essas pessoas, pai? – Who are these people, Dad?

Eu tenho um filho mas ele nunca se juntou a mim. Ele está com a tia no Brasil. – I have a son but he never joined me. He's with his aunt in Brazil.

A tia?- His aunt?

Sim, ele é o único dos meus filhos que pôde criar um outro vampiro. A irmã da mãe dele estava presente durante seu nascimento e ele mordeu ela.- Yes, he's the only one of my children that could create another vampire. The sister of his mother was present during his birth and he bit her.