Bella POV -

In less than a second, I had my arms wrapped tightly around Charlie.

He caught me as I launched myself at him and held onto me with a grip that almost hurt. As soon as I was in my father's arms, the stress and worry over his capture had melted away and I sobbed quietly, still in his arms.

I felt him shaking softly, almost trembling while almost inaudible sobs drifted into my ears and I knew he felt the relief I did.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, I chanted over and over. He was safe. He was here. I vaguely noticed the family standing behind me a few feet away.

Marcus remained behind Charlie with a dazed look on his face and his eyes glassy. He stared at me with so much love and respect in his eyes that it nearly left me breathless, but confusion won out in the end. I didn't understand why he'd be looking at me like that. We had never met before.

In fact, all I really knew about him was that he'd been part of the coven that had abducted my father and turned him against his will for their own selfish reasons. Apart from that, though, I couldn't help but feel happy to see him as well.

I didn't understand it at all but I chalked it up to the fact that my father trusted and helped him. Charlie didn't trust easily...if he could trust this man, so could I. Of course, I owed him now that he had helped my father escape Aro.

"I missed you," I whispered to Charlie. "I've been so worried about you."

"Me too, Bells," he murmured back. Whatever thought went through his head next made fresh tears well up in his eyes and glaze them over. "I've missed you so much, sweetheart. Life hasn't been the same without you."

Guilt flooded me.

I had completely forgotten that to Charlie and Renee, I had been dead. I'd been so worried about everything else that I forgot he must have been grieving over the loss of his only daughter...his only child.

I felt the tears in my eyes build up as the uncomfortable burning in my eyes increased. The wetness of my tears didn't soothe the burning. "Dad," I choked out. "I'm so sorry!" I sobbed.

I buried my face in his shoulder as I continued to cry, his hushing noises and attempts to comfort me only making me feel worse. "It's okay, Bells," He rubbed my back. "I'm okay."

He was right. He was okay. Now, I thought. He wasn't a few months ago...he was in pain.

"I'm okay," he repeated before he kissed my forehead, his mustache tickling my face. "We're okay, Bella."

"Yes," I agreed because we were. Despite the war coming, we were all okay and together. The only thing I was missing in my life was my mother.

But she was okay too. She was grieving but she was getting better. And she wasn't alone...she had Phil now and he was taking care of her. Slowly, she was returning to her old self, bubbly and carefree. I knew she would hurt for a while - the pain of losing a child never truly went away - but she would heal. In time, the absence of me would become bittersweet before finally, she'd be able to look back at our memories and laugh at the silliness instead of breaking down into heart-wrenching sobs.

I couldn't bring her into this life...she's be unable to handle it or keep the secret. I knew that because that's how she's always been; easily excited and loves her gossip. I also couldn't tear her away from her life to ease my own pain. I couldn't thrust her into a completely different world for my own selfish reasons.

"We'll talk later about this," I promised Charlie, pushing the almost overwhelming sorrow away. "For now, we should get you back to our home."

Carlisle walked forward then, moving to stand next to me before placing a hand on my shoulder. "Welcome home, Chief Swan," he smiled, polite and respectful as always.

"Good to be home, Doc," Charlie smirked back.

Carlisle chuckled quietly before hesitantly approaching Marcus. "You look well, old friend," he greeted.

"Carlisle," Marcus greeted back, finally taking his eyes off of me to look at Carlisle. "You do so as well. It's been too long," Marcus extended an arm out to shake his hand.

"Please, do not take offense," Carlisle started after releasing Marcus' hand and stepping back beside me. Edward stood closely on my other side and I felt his arms wrap gently but tightly around my waist, pressing me to him. I leaned into him, enjoying the comfort only he could bring me.

"But, what exactly are you doing here? So far away from Volterra?" Carlisle finished.

"I understand your apprehension, dear friend. But please, you can trust me. I have no reason to harm you or your beautiful family," Marcus looked every single one of us in the eyes before looking at Carlisle again.

With a quick look and a nod of approval from both Edward and Jasper, Carlisle smiled before inviting him to our home, which Marcus graciously accepted.

What I couldn't understand was why Marcus had referred to me as his mother. Why... after all these visions I'd had of this strange woman's life, did he call me mother?

I couldn't be that Isabella...I mean...reincarnation wasn't real, was it?

Marcus Volturi was relieved to be away from Volterra Castle, something he didn't believe he'd be able to feel while being away from the only home he'd known for almost four thousand years.

He felt free...truly free of all constraints on him. He knew that despite being inside the home of who was supposed to be the enemy according to his brother that he'd not be harmed.

He knew the Cullen family did not like violence and would not attack him without being provoked. Carlisle was a man of integrity and kindness and Marcus knew him to be unwavering in his beliefs and values.

Though Marcus had known this, he'd still been in disbelief at how well received he had been with the Cullen's. Unlike the Volturi, he had been shown kindness and hospitality with the odd but awe-inspiring family, whereas in Italy, a visitor would have been shown hostility or a false welcome.

Marcus was envious. He was envious of the close-knit and loving family his dear friend Carlisle had built for himself. He had once been a part of a family as close and loyal as the one he bore witness to now. And to see it now, especially first-hand, cut him deeply, for he had lost his family to corruption and evil; an evil so alike the type he had seen inside the walls of Volterra Castle.

"I am to assume that you're aware of the plans the Volturi have in regards to you?" Marcus asked to no specific person as he gazed out of the large glass window, facing away from everyone.

"We are aware," Carlisle replied cautiously.

"Are you aware of the danger to your family, Carlisle?" Marcus asked seriously and though he meant no harm, several quiet hisses erupted from the throats of the Cullen's. They were silenced with a look from their leader.

"Yes," he told him. "We know that they have no intention of stopping long enough to hear us out. They intend to attack without question." Carlisle sighed before continuing. "It is a fools hope, but I wish to be able to catch them off guard long enough that they have to listen."

"And what will you do if they don't?" Marcus asked, his eyes showing genuine curiosity and worry for his friend.

Carlisle stared intently at the vampire before him, internally debating whether or not to say what he wished to next. Finally, he spoke. "Then I am prepared to do whatever I have to...to keep my family safe."

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

After Marcus had been shown to the room he was staying in, he felt like taking a shower.

He wanted to wash away the last few weeks. He wanted to wash away the stress of their urgent escape and meeting with the Cullen's. All of it had been mentally draining.

Marcus didn't know what to do. For the first time in many, many years he was finally in the presence of his mother. Despite everything, he felt overjoyed knowing his mother had indeed been reborn. She was back and even more beautiful than his memory provided.

Only, the downfall was...she didn't remember him.

And that hurt him. He had waited so long for her return, with the intense hope; the only thing that kept him going, the only thing to help him keep trying, and she didn't remember him.

He was unsure of what to do. He knew it'd be foolish to simply tell her that she was his mother. She'd look at him like he was insane, and he didn't want to see that look on his mothers face, especially when directed at him. He also had no power relevant to retrieve her memories, so that was a dead end.

Then there was Aro.

Aro had been searching for the Phoenix for many centuries, always coming up short and ending up with more questions than answers. If Aro was to discover that this omnipotent being was in fact, his mother, his rage would increase one hundredfold.

It wasn't that Marcus was afraid of Aro. He knew that if worse came to worst, he could best Aro in a fight. The con of Aro's gift was that he required touch in order to use it. Yes, in a fight he could read his opponents thoughts, but he could be bested by the speed of his enemy.

And Marcus was faster than his brothers. It was a gift he received at birth when he was born from the most powerful woman known to all kinds.

All his life Marcus had been a warrior. He had a happy childhood, his parent's raising him surrounded by love. He had been taught to fight by his parents, simply because they wanted their son to be able to defend himself if anything was to occur when they were not around.

As a young man, he had fought beside his parents as countless power hungry enemies attempted to covet his dear mother for their own use. Many a time, those confrontations ended in a blood bath, something his mother hated for she had a pure and kind heart.

It was only when something threatened someone she loved that she became something to fear.

His father was kind a well. To all else, he was standoff-ish, though not unkind. He simply preferred to remain aloof to anyone, his trust becoming feeble at best to anyone other than his family. It was a side-effect of all the betrayal by those he once trusted, coming to harm his beloved wife and mate.

His father loved his mother above all else.

He would do anything for her; lie for her, fight for her, kill for her. he had proved that countless times over their long existence. He loved his wife with a fierceness and an nearly uncontrollable urge to worship her.

His mother was the same way. They shared a love like no one else. It was real and true, in all aspects of life. Despite how intensely Marcus loved his own mate, he still had yet to see a love as pure as the love his parents shared.

In the living room of the Cullen house, he heard his father whisper sweet nothings in his mothers ear and he smiled. He listened to his father whisper how beautiful she was...he listened to him whisper his love for his mate and kiss her lips softly in a string of chaste kisses until she laughed gently.

Suddenly, it didn't matter that his mother didn't remember him. The stress he felt earlier was gone. It didn't matter that a war with his former coven was on the horizon.

All that mattered for the moment was that his parents had finally been reunited in the realm of the living once more.

Hey, guys! Sorry it took me so long to update. Life's been a little crazy...that's an understatement.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please leave a little review. I'm getting closer to that 300 mark. :-)

Any mistakes in this chapter are my own.

***Also, I have another story up. It's called "Sign of the Times" based on the song by Harry Styles. It has to deal with God's and such. Please read it if you have time...I'm rather proud of it so far! :)