I apologize for any typos or errors in this story. I do not have a beta.

Bella POV -

Edward and I were finally redressing after our last few nights together.

The wholeness I felt after finally loving Edward the way I wanted to was beyond anything I ever imagined. I was blissful.

Truthfully, I was a little nervous about telling the family about our engagement; for what reason, I don't know. Normally, Alice would have let everyone know by now but this time, she was out of the loop as well because I was blocking her. I smiled a little too smugly at that thought.

I knew my nerves were silly, the family would be ecstatic for us but still, I couldn't shake them.

"Bella," Edward called to me. I had been staring out the window for a while now, deep in thought. I looked at him, a smile on my face. "They're gonna be here soon. I can hear their thoughts,"

"Okay, baby," I answered. A minute or two had passed when I saw them emerge from the forest, paired off in couples. They looked at us through the window and smiled at us and we smiled back.

"Come on, love," Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door.

We walked down the hallway together hearing the others enter the house through the front door. We approached the stairway and I froze, an overwhelming sense of deja vu filled my body as an image I've never seen entered my mind. It was almost like a...memory. It felt as if I've lived it before.

Whoever it was in my head was staring down at a group of vampires that felt distantly familiar. They were obediently listening to their leader, a Spanish woman with dark hair and red eyes.

"Bella?" Edward asked, pulling me out of my head. "What's wrong?"

Confused, I shook my head at him and decided to just push it away. "Nothing," I said to him. "I can't really make sense of it,"

Edward gave me a look that said we'd talk about it later.

When we reached the others in the living room Edward and I were pulled into Esme's embrace and I sighed. I loved her hugs. With a kiss to both of our cheeks, she released us and took my left hand.

Just as she was about to say something, she paused, her mouth still open. Edward smiled a little.

With a speed that I wasn't expecting, she forced my hand higher, closer to her face and she gasped. An expression of pure joy and happiness, her other hand flew to her mouth and she looked as though she would be crying if she could.

"Oh!" she cried. Everyone was confused so they stepped closer to the three of us and realization dawned on their faces. Rose smiled softly at us as Alice squealed. Emmett let out a whistle and clapped Edward on the back after Jasper had done the exact same.

Carlisle was beaming, his happiness and relief increasing ours. I knew he was relieved that Edward would finally be getting his happy ending. I was pulled into Alice's arms just as Carlisle shook Edward's hand and pulled him into a hug with a quiet murmur of congratulations.

"Oh, I am so happy for you guys!" Alice was bouncing on her feet. "Please, can I plan the wedding? It'll be perfect, I promise!" she begged.

Looking at Edward for confirmation, he smiled and I turned back to Alice. "Of course, Ali. But please, don't go overboard." I tried to stress how strongly I meant that with a firm look.

With another squeal and another tight hug for me and Edward, she grabbed Rose by the hand, dragging her to her room already blabbering about wedding details.

As soon as the girls were gone from sight, I was wrapped up in Emmett's big arms and I laughed. "Congrats, little sis," he beamed.

"Thanks, Em," I smiled.

"You have always been my little sister, Bella." He smiled with a sweet kiss on my cheek. "Only now, it'll be official." That made me giggle again and I hugged him tightly to me.

"He's right, darlin'" Jasper drawled. "Even when I had to keep my distance, you were my sister. Marriage or not, nothin' will change that." His words were accompanied by a wave of brotherly love and I ran to him. He caught me, hugging me as tightly as Emmett had.

I had always wanted a big family, and I couldn't be happier that I had one now.

Jazz pulled away and again I was overcome with deja vu. It was still the same person's eyes I was looking through, only this time it was a scene from a beautiful home.

The woman was talking to her son and I noticed that her son looked familiar. I gasped when I realized why the man looked so familiar.

It was Marcus. Marcus Volturi.

"Are you well, mother?" He asked.

"I am just fine, my boy," The woman responded. "Just fine."

When the vision ended, I noticed everyone was looking at me, concern etched on their faces.

"Was it another vision of the Volturi?" Esme asked. Alice and Rose appeared on the stairway standing still beside each other, their faces slightly anxious. Edward stared at me obviously remembering the other incident on the stairs.

"I didn't see anything," Alice mumbled.

"It wasn't a vision," I said before I backtracked. "Well, it was...but, it was different. It wasn't from the future. This vision had a different vibe to it, I don't know how to explain it." I rambled while attempting to organize my thoughts. "It was almost like it was a vision of the past."

"I wouldn't doubt it was, Bells," Emmett said, uncharacteristically serious. "What was it about?"

"Um...a woman," I said.

"That's it?" Rose demanded.

"Rose," Esme warned.

Taking a deep breath, I focused my sight on Edward as I spoke, "Earlier, I had another vision too. She was watching a newborn army from farther away. The vampires didn't know she was there. Their leader...she had dark brown hair and red eyes. She looked Spanish." I stopped speaking when I heard Jasper's intake of breath.

Alice sped over to her mate, her arms wrapped around him as her hands rubbed soothing circles on his back.

"Does she sound familiar, Jazz?" I asked. She certainly looked familiar in the vision.

"Read my mind, Bella," he commanded gently. "You tell me if we're talking about the same person." With a nod, I entered his mind and immediately I saw the woman from the vision. Jasper referred to her as Maria. His creator.

"That's her!" I spoke, a little shocked. "I don't know why she was in the vision, but she was. It didn't show much, to be completely honest. Just a gathering of newborn vampires awaiting orders from their leader."

As soon as I finished speaking, I zoned out and another scene played out in my head.

"May we help you, vampire?" Maria's voice was sharp and firm like she was used to being in charge. I assumed she meant to intimidate the woman who's memories I was watching.

"Indeed you can, Maria." The woman spoke only further confirming who the dark haired vampire warlord was.

Their dialog went on for a bit longer, Maria growing more and more impatient as the mystery woman behind the eyes was as calm as ever.

"I am one of the oldest of our kind. There is not many I've met that surpass me in age." Maria had barred her teeth, clearly angry that her attempts at intimidation were proving futile.

"I know of your age, my dear. I know more about you than you think." This woman's voice was eerily familiar. In fact, it almost sounded like...mine. Only somehow it was even smoother and more alluring as well as seductive and enchanting.

The woman went on, "Shall I introduce myself? I go by the name of Isabella."

With a startled gasp, I came back to reality. Everyone was looking at me expectantly and I noticed Edward had wrapped his arms around me as if trying to protect me from something.

"The woman's name is Isabella," I stated. "She confronted Maria about something. The warlord of the south." Before the others could ask, I spoke. "I don't know why."

"This is curious," Carlisle whispered, mostly to himself.

Everyone had started rambling off ideas; who she is, why she confronted Maria...why I'm able to witness her memories.

Carlisle cleared his throat and everyone quieted in respect for him. "I am not certain as to why you are able to see this woman's memories, Bella. Or rather, why you are seeing them now." He corrected himself because, with my gift, it was pretty obvious why I was able to see them. "However, we know that there is more to this whole "Phoenix" thing than Eleazar knows. Aro wouldn't trust anyone with something so...powerful. He is a very paranoid man."

I nodded at that. He was indeed very paranoid.

"Bella," he looked to me. "Keep us updated if you have more of these visions. Let us know,"

"I will," I promised and he smiled with a nod at me.

"Until then, we'll continue on with our lives. We're going to need to train again." He paused at the groans. "I know, I know. But we need to be fully prepared. I will not take risks when it comes to my family."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Our training session was a rather brutal one and not for the first time in my short, immortal life, I was exhausted.

I lay down on the bed in Edward's room, now technically ours, and shut my eyes. I figured a nice nap would help for it was always nice to shut out reality for a little while.

But before I could wish myself to sleep, I heard a knock at the door. "Come in," I said, groaning quietly. A small chuckle from the doorway told me that my visitor heard it.

"May I speak with you, sweetheart?" Carlisle asked.

"Sure, Carlisle." He walked in and sat down at the edge of the bed next to me after I had sat up.

"I just wanted to congratulate you," he murmured. "I didn't get the chance to earlier." I smiled shyly and whispered my thanks.

"You know, Bella...I never thought Edward would find his mate. I had hope, desperately, but he never held any ounce of interest in women. Not even men," he chuckled and I giggled. "I watched him all throughout his immortal life and witnessed how his contentment slowly turned into bitterness and loneliness over the course of 80 years." He sighed.

"He was my first true friend in this life, soon after he became my son. I've always wanted the world for him but as the years went by, my hope had started to fade away with his. Esme had always worried that he was too young when I changed him. Until finally, he met you." He smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I rested my head on his shoulder.

"The hope I saw on his face after he met you was breathtaking, Bella, truly it was. And when we left, his agony was so plain on his face." Carlisle trailed off, looking pained at the memory. "We never should have left you, Bella." I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. "No, please let me say this."

Closing my mouth, I nodded for him to continue and he did. "Though I will never regret you becoming one of us and officially joining my family, I will always regret the way it happened. You should have been with us, changed by someone who loved you and wanted you for something more than a meal." Carlisle's eyes had tightened in anger, probably at Laurent.

"You may have forgiven me, but I am not so sure I can forgive myself for allowing my family to leave you so easily. Especially with no goodbye." His arm tightened around me. "You deserved so much better, sweetheart. To think that I had one of the biggest parts in causing you such pain..."

He was silent for several moments staring at the floor before he finally turned his head to me and pressed his lips to my forehead. "You have always been my daughter. I will forever be grateful that you allowed me a second chance to be a part of your life. Even when we were gone, we were always thinking of you, always missing you." He kissed my forehead again.

"I never want you to doubt that. You are my daughter. You have always been my daughter. I came up here with the intention of making sure that you knew this. Because, despite how you try to hide it, I can see it," His eyes were sad. "I see your insecurity and I know that it was us that caused it. There are times you don't feel as though you are part of this family. I guess it can only be expected after what we did. You distance yourself from us, sometimes...I don't know if you know that you do." He said quietly.

Carlisle stood up, helping me stand as well. "In every aspect of the word except biological, you are my daughter. You are the daughter I chose. My son couldn't be a luckier man."

I pressed myself against his body, tears had welled up in my eyes and I tried unsuccessfully to keep them from falling. "Thank you, daddy."

"I love you, Bella. My daughter."

I've always loved me some Carlisle/Bella bonding. It's sweet.

I promise a little update on Charlie and Marcus will be in the next chapter.

What are your thoughts on this chapter? Let me know in the reviews. :)