Chapter 25 – Romancing Rome

Rome was probably the most incredible place I had ever been. The ancient ruins were as beautiful as they were eerie. There was a strange sense of solemnity that oozed out of every building, and carried an icy breeze through the otherwise hot stagnant air. It almost felt like we were constantly being watched by the ghosts of the Roman gladiators that fought and died there centuries prior. Now, instead of human slaves being forced to fight, the supernatural were suffering in their stead. It just proved that mankind's bloodlust, and quest for ultimate power, was relentless.

"Wow, it almost looks magical from here," I said while looking at the Colosseum as we were shown to our table. "You almost forget what horrors happened within its walls. It's no wonder the owners would want to meet at this restaurant before the event. It probably makes them feel powerful looking at it knowing they're the modern day version of gladiator owners."

Edward smirked. "Actually, this isn't a tournament sponsored event."

"It's not?" I asked confused. It wasn't until that moment that I realized our table was just set for two. "It's just us? Why?"

He laughed once. "Call it a date. Or, at least, Emmett called it a date when he suggested I take you out, just the two of us."

"Oh. Well, that's… I don't know, I guess I'm still confused. We have so much to do before the tournament starts, we probably shouldn't be wasting time on some fancy dinner that doesn't mean anything."

"I wouldn't say it doesn't mean anything," he disagreed. "Since we left Brazil, we have been going nonstop with all the traveling, and planning, and everything that goes with it. When all of this is over, and life slows down, we may not know what to do with ourselves anymore, so I thought it was a good idea to take a small break."

A smile spread across my face, and actually hurt my cheeks as a result. It had to be the first genuine smile I had in weeks, and because of that, it almost felt foreign in a way – a good way. "This is definitely a good idea."

"Yeah, but I wasn't thinking about the whole gladiator thing," he added, gesturing to the Colosseum across the way. "It does seem a little wrong for us to be using it as a romantic backdrop, especially considering what we are in this city trying to do."

Just then the Colosseum lit up, making the most incredible contrast between the illuminated stone ruins, to the dark colors of the sky behind it. It was the perfect blend of ancient architecture, and the natural awe of our heavens above. Absolutely breathtaking.

"Maybe it's not wrong," I said softly. "Maybe this is the perfect example of beauty in the wake of horror. Think of how far human culture has come since this was built. It's amazing, really."

"They haven't come all that far if they're still forcing enslaved creatures to fight," Edward disagreed.

"That's not human society though, not really anyway. It's just a small group of nasty power hungry jackasses. Most humans aren't this sick. Or, at least, I have to believe most aren't."

"We can go somewhere else if you want," he offered sweetly.

I considered it briefly. "Nah, let's just take this for what it is – a beautiful evening."

The restaurant we were dining at was called Aroma, and the food was just as delicious as its name. Edward and I managed to spend an entire hour without discussing the tournaments, or any other creature besides the two of us, and then he surprised me even more.

"Come dance with me," he said with his hand outstretched towards me.

I grinned. "You don't know what an email is, but you know how to dance?"

He shrugged. "How hard can it be?"

Edward was definitely a quick learner. After watching the other couples dancing for a brief minute, he had it down, and I was the one stumbling through it. Despite stepping on his toes repeatedly, he held me tight, and never let me fall.

The music played softly, but it soon faded away until there was no sound left in the entire world, except the gentle beating of his heart as I rested my head against his chest. He topped off the amazing moment by lifting my chin up so he could kiss me in the most swoon-worthy way. It literally made my knees go weak, and I knew, without a doubt, that I would have fallen irrevocably in love with him if I wasn't so much already. I never even knew moments like that could truly exist outside of cheesy chick-flicks.

"You're really good at this romance stuff," I told him softly. "Who would have guessed?"

He smiled. "Well, truth be told, my father used to pull my mother in for dancing at random times. I never understood it back then, but I've wanted to dance with you ever since that first night we spent together."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't try any sooner. My two left feet would have had you running for the hills."

"It's impossible for you to have two left feet," he disagreed, not understanding my comment. "And why would I run to any hills?"

I giggled. "'Two left feet' means I'm clumsy, and 'running for the hills' means you wouldn't want me anymore and you'd leave me as soon as possible."

"Why would your lack dancing skills make me want to leave you?" he questioned, still not understanding.

"It wouldn't. It was just a joke," I said dismissively.

"Oh," he replied with an absent head nod as he was apparently still trying to comprehend everything. He must have decided it just didn't matter, because he shrugged it off and then asked me, "Are you ready to head back?"

Through our touch, he already knew I wasn't ready for our date to be over just yet, so after paying our bill, we left the restaurant and walked to the outdoor market area down the way.

Even though it was night, the booths were well lit with millions of little twinkling lights, which somehow still carried the romance through the crowded rows of produce, souvenirs, and various secondhand goods.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea," I said as we began to browse. "The last time we were in a market like this we ended up taking in another mouth to feed."

"Jacob has served us well thus far," Edward argued. "We would only be lucky to be stalked by another creature who could help us the way he does."

"True," I conceded. "It would be nice if said creature was a little less mouthy than Jacob though."

"Mouthy? Did he bite you?"

"No, I mean he talks a lot of crap. It gets irritating."

"That, he does," he agreed.

We walked around a bit more, and we saw some interesting things, but mostly we just enjoyed our time together. It was peaceful, and completely and utterly ordinary, which was such a wonderful break from the hectic craziness we usually existed in.

Just as we were about to leave, a particular little antique music box caught my eye. "Wow, this is pretty."

I opened the box, and was absolutely stunned by the melody it produced. "This… this is…" I looked up at Edward in shock.

"It's the lullaby I used to hum to you," he confirmed with a smile. "My mother used to hum it to me when I was little too. It must be a very old tune."

"This song got me through some really tough nights growing up," I told him. "Well, I guess it was you that got me through it all along. I used to think I was imagining it, or it was just playing in my head and seeping into the real world due to my own delusions. Sometimes I even thought it was my mother, trying to comfort me from heaven."

"You're mother wasn't really the humming type," he told me. "She always said soft melodies were boring, and she much preferred the loud stuff."

"I did not know that about her," I said, surprised.

I couldn't leave that booth without the box, so of course, we bought it. It was made with real silver, so despite the decades' worth of tarnish, it was quite pricey. Even still, it meant a lot to me, and I knew I would always cherish that little artifact like the treasure it was.

We ended our date with an intimate night in our private suite at the poshest hotel in Rome. We were staying away from our cohorts due to the fact some of the other owners requested to get together during our time there, and it would look strange for us to stay so far outside the city limits. It made us all slightly uncomfortable to be separated in that way, but it seemed we didn't have much of a choice. Most of the owners were staying in that hotel, so that's where we had to be.

When the first day of the tournament began, we went into it knowing there could be setbacks, however we weren't prepared for what the Roman committee had to tell us when we were asked to speak to them privately.

"We would like you to fight your vampire in the main event, rather than the shifter," they informed us. "Otherwise the owner of the other vampire in this tournament will pull it out."

"Why?" I asked confused. "The owner of the last vampire we were supposed to face pulled it out last minute as well. Why does this keep happening?"

"In all honesty, the other owners are scared," the man admitted. "That shifter you have is too strong." Edward snorted as a result of the man's words, but luckily they dismissed it. "They don't want to lose their prized fighters. They aren't willing to put them against the shifter," the man continued, "but they are willing to put their vampires up against your vampire."

"Our vampire is one of the strongest vampires in existence," Edward told them. "They aren't afraid of losing their vampires to our vampire?"

"The fact that The Terminator lost to your shifter proves just how strong the shifter is. It has everyone scared. However, knowing The Terminator is coming off of a loss, they feel this is their chance to beat him, and possibly acquire The Terminator for themselves. As for our committee, a vampire versus vampire match is rare these days, and we feel this could only be a good thing for this sport."

"So, you're saying if we don't put in The Terminator, we don't get to enter this tournament at all?" Edward asked through gritted teeth. He was frustrated, and flustered, and understandably upset by the unexpected circumstance, but I needed to make sure he kept his cool.

"We will discuss it privately, and get back to you," I told them, before grabbing Edward's arm and pulling him away.

"It's not happening!" Edward shouted the moment we were back in the privacy of our room. "These idiots actually think Jacob is a better fighter than Emmett? It's fucking ridiculous! If Emmett didn't throw the match, there is no way he would have lost."

"I know, and I agree, but…"

"There are no buts," he snapped at me. "We didn't get Emmett out of there, just to put him back in. It's not happening. This entire trip was a waste of time, and if these cowards aren't willing to put up their vampires against Jacob, there is nothing left for us to do. We're done!"

"Maybe before we give up, maybe we should at least ask Emmett if he would be willing to go in," I suggested.

"No! I'm not doing that to him. He has no reason to risk his life and his freedom like that. At least Jacob wants to be in there since he is looking for his imprint. Emmett would only be doing it for me, and I'm not going to allow it to happen."

"I understand what you are saying, but think about it for a minute. A lot of these host owners keep their main event fighters in a separate area. I know my dad used to keep Emmett away from the other caged monsters before his matches. If we can't get access to your sister and mother before their fights, we won't be able to tell them to lose. If we can't tell them to lose, there is a good chance they won't. We both know Jacob isn't that skilled. But Emmett is. Emmett can beat them, whereas Jacob would probably get himself torn to pieces, and shifters can't put themselves back together again. He would be killed."

"But if Emmett happens to lose…"

"If Emmett loses," I interrupted him, "The worst thing that will happen is that he will be bought by the winner, and we will just have to convince them to let him face Jacob in a rematch. Convince them he could win and the last time was just a fluke. We won't stop until they agree, and they will fight, and Jacob will win again, and we will get him back. Either way, putting him against your sister and mother is probably for the best. It's our best chance at getting them out."

Edward's jaw locked. "Fine. We leave the decision up to Emmett."

...

Of course, Emmett was never one to turn down a fight, and it seemed he was actually quite excited to be headed into the ring again. Because his return was such a huge draw for the spectators, he didn't need to be in any of the preliminary matches, therefore, his first fight of that tournament, would also be his last.

When the day and time of the main event came far quicker than we would have liked, we nervously made our way to Emmett's pre-match holding cell. But as worried as Edward and I were for him, his mood was practically jubilant.

"We can still call this off," Edward offered.

"No way! We gotta get your family out," Em replied, way too excitedly.

"We can find another way," Edward argued.

"Yeah, but no other way would be this fun. I love ripping vampire heads off. I haven't had a match against another vampire in years. This is going to be awesome!"

"If you lose…"

Emmett's shock and disapproving glare from Edward's words made him shut up mid-speech.

"The Terminator does. Not. Lose," Emmett said with faux dramatic offense.

"But if…"

"Listen kid, there is no 'if' or 'lose' in my vocabulary."

"You just said both words, which means they are certainly in your vocabulary," Edward argued.

Emmett shook his head incredulously, and then looked at me. "You may have to explain that one to him."

I nodded. "Sure thing."

"I'm going to win," Emmett told us both, without a fraction of a doubt.

"Well, you better. It cost us enough money to get you out the first time," I replied playfully.

Emmett smirked and winked at me.

"Em," Edward said quietly, but again, Emmett stopped him.

"Nope. I'm not letting you tell me some pouty goodbye. Everything will be fine, and I'll see you after the match."

"Emmett," Edward tried again, but Em still wasn't having it.

"Bella, please get him out of here. I don't need any of that whining stuff messing with my mojo."

"Alright, we'll go," Edward relented. "Just be careful. Sometimes you get overly cocky and you lose focus."

Emmett huffed. "Would you just get out of here already!"

"Come on, let's let him focus," I told Edward.

"Alright, alright," Edward finally agreed, before flicking up a half wave towards Em, and then allowing me to tow him out of the cells towards the arena to find our seats.

Because we had to compromise and fight our vampire, Edward and I worked in a deal to get us front row seats. Most owners preferred the box seats, and the front row was left for the high rollers, but we insisted, and luckily, the Roman tournament committee agreed to our terms.

Being that close to the ring was even more traumatic from a spectator standpoint, but it definitely had its advantages for us.

"Stop bitching and focus!" Edward yelled as Emmett began spitting and snarling at the crowd who was surprisingly booing him.

"I'll kill every one of you. The Terminator takes no prisoners!" Emmett continued shouting back at the hecklers.

"You're no terminator!" someone in the masses yelled back at him.

"You're a loser!" someone else shouted over the noise.

"You won't think I'm a loser when I come after your children!" Emmett raged at them, nearly coming in contact with the electrified bars that confined him.

"Forget them!" Edward yelled, demanding Emmett's attention. "Focus. Shut them up by winning."

Emmett stared at him for a minute, and despite his fuming demeanor, he took a deep breath, and then nodded.

The crowd continued yelling derogatory things towards Emmett, but thankfully, Em seemed to tune them out as he waited for his opponent.

However, when the second caged vampire was brought into the arena, I was absolutely flabbergasted. "Wow," was all I could think to say. In Edward's memories of his sister, she was always beautiful, however the way she came out looked nothing like how I was expecting. She wasn't wild and enraged like Esme had been the only time I saw her fight, Rosalie looked down right sexy.

"Holy mother of all bitches," I heard Emmett say beneath the thunderous applause of the audience as the female strutted around the ring.

Her shinny golden hair was perfectly curled, her makeup was heavy but flawless, and her outfit looked like red bondage lingerie. Her fighting name was Vixen, fittingly so, and that was the name being chanted by the eager crowd. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say Emmett was beginning to chant it too.

"What the hell are you doing?" Edward hissed at Em as he continued to stand there drooling over Rosalie like a lovesick moron.

The blonde bombshell sauntered over to him, and Em was completely mesmerized by her pretty face and the tantalizing way she moved. Apparently, that was her intention. Without him even attempting to defend himself, Rosalie struck Emmett in the arm, making a deafening cracking noise. Emmett hardly flinched, and then he started babbling like an absolute idiot.

"You are the sexiest creature I have ever laid eyes on," Emmett said as he was struck again.

"Emmett!" Edward yelled at him, but Em almost seemed to be in some type of lovesick trance.

With one more hip swaying pass, The Vixen ripped off The Terminator's arm. Even still, Emmett looked at her like the sun set in her ass.

"Damn it, Emmett, you're about to lose!" Edward shouted in one last attempt to snap Emmett out of it.

When it became clear that Emmett was about to be defeated, Edward decided he just couldn't sit back and watch it happen, so he came up with a desperate plan.

"Bella, bite me," he said to me in a hushed rush.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Just do it. Right now!" he insisted.

I didn't understand it, but I leaned in to his neck, making it look like nothing more than a kinky kiss to anyone possibly paying attention, and then bit down.

It was hard to focus on anything else when my teeth sunk into his flesh. The mating bond was so strong that I ached to finish it by having him latch on to my neck in return, but that wasn't the purpose of that bite. Through our connection, I understood his idea, so I complied by letting just a small amount of his blood escape the seal between my lips and his skin. It was just a drop, but it was enough.

Rosalie stopped mid-step, one moment before she was about to inflict the final blow to Emmett, and her head slowly turned to the side where her eyes locked to us.

"Hideous Little Beast!" she screeched. "You're alive… and you're big."

Edward shook his head at her warningly, and somehow she understood that she needed to feign ignorance to his identity.

Then Edward mouthed 'Lose'.

She stared at him full of shock and confusion, and then very slowly she nodded once, before turning to the now one-armed Emmett. She walked right over to him, smacked him on his forehead, and then circled herself to the far side of the ring.

As if he suddenly woke up from his trance, Emmett blinked a few times, and then looked around the arena confused, before shaking his head, and locking his glare on Rosalie.

"What did you do to me!" he growled at her. "I'm going to enjoy ripping your sexy little head off!"

Like a ferocious storm, he finally attacked her hard, and the strength of his attack thundered and echoed off of all the walls in the giant underground room. She feigned a pathetic attempt at defending herself, but even with his singular arm, he was able to take her down quickly, and that was it.

Emmett gloated as he jumped around the ring, and threw his fist in the air as he taunted his hackers- "Who's a loser now, bitches! Hope you can still sleep knowing I'm coming for your babies!"

Edward and I each took a simultaneous sigh of relief, and then we immediately headed towards the committee offices to negotiate Rosalie's purchase. Thankfully, it all went smoothly from there, and before the sun rose the following morning, we were watching Eleazar as he meticulously put the two vampires back together.

"She is going to be pissed when she wakes up," Edward mumbled anxiously. "She had her head ripped off once before, and she said it gave her a terrible migraine and she was grumpy for the next half decade."

"Who ripped her head off?" I questioned.

"Some nomad her and my dad got mixed up with. It was long before I was born. She just told me about it once."

"She is lucky I didn't rip out her silky mesmerizing hair when I decapitated her," Emmett said with forced bitterness. "I don't know how she got my arm off, but she had to have cheated somehow."

"Man, you were like a lovesick puppy," I teased him. "It looked more like a gothic romance movie than a fight to the death."

"That's a fucking lie!" he spat.

"No it's not!" Jacob backed me with a snicker. "While El was putting your arm back on you, Edward showed me the fight through his mind thingy he does, and you looked like a pussy whipped buffoon."

Emmett looked to Edward for confirmation that Jake wasn't lying. When Edward responded with a guilty shrug, Em just became even more defensive.

"She did something to me! I'm telling you, that woman has a gift against men. That was probably why her owners wanted her to be put up against me. They knew she could do some kind of voodoo shit."

"I never knew her to be gifted," Edward said in disbelief. "But if she is, and used that gift on you, it wouldn't be cheating. Vampires are allowed to use any and all gifts during matches."

Emmett wanted to argue, but he knew Edward was right. "Damn it!" he shouted in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Em," Edward said sympathetically. "I never would have allowed you to fight if I had known it would be that close. I almost didn't let you fight when I thought you could win easily. But, I do appreciate you risking it all to free my sister. Thank you, man."

Emmett visibly softened. "Awe, little bother, you know I'd do anything for you. Besides, it felt good to be back in the ring."

"The tournaments are disgusting," I said, unsure how he could see it any other way.

"No, the slavery part is disgusting. Being there by choice, by my own free will, that was amazing. I'm not saying I'd enjoy killing creatures, but some nice, brutal, non-lethal, monster matches would surely quench my natural instinct to want to kill innocents."

"Well, I guess if it was all on a voluntary basis like the UFC, it wouldn't be so bad," I agreed, vaguely understanding where he was coming from.

Emmett wrinkled his nose. "Did I really act like a lovesick moron in that ring?"

I nodded, and so did Edward.

"Damn, I don't remember any of that."

"What do you remember?" Edward asked him curiously.

"I was in the ring - totally pumped and ready to go - then I watched her saunter over to me with her banging hot bod…. and then, nothing. You sure she isn't some kind of witch?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Edward replied casually.

"I had to have been hypnotized or something. The Terminator doesn't lose unless on purpose, and the wench almost took me down for real. Something just isn't right."

"Maybe you've just gone soft," Jacob razzed him.

"The fuck I have!"

"Shush now, she is waking up," Eleazar insisted.

Rosalie's eyes opened slowly, and the first things she did after fully regaining total control of herself, was search out Edward. She wrapped her arms around him, and gushed about how big he was and how much she loved him. Then, she turned to Emmett, and that was when all hell broke loose…